Pieces of Love
by SaiyanLover
Summary: Glimpses into the unconventional romance between Raven and Beast Boy - two polar opposites who unexpectedly manage to complete each other perfectly. This is a collection of independent stories. Rated for sexual references and language.
1. Paralyzed

_**Paralyzed**_

She should be enjoying herself. It is a party, after all. Watching her standing in the corner, cloak wrapped tightly around herself, I can see how desperately she wants to leave. All I see in her eyes is the need to escape.

I hate to see her like this. I want her to be able to enjoy things that most of us take for granted. Things that we all do without a second thought, but that have always been impossible for her to try. Can anybody imagine what she must go through, being unable to show emotion?

I wish I had the power to help her, to show her that she can feel. She always seems frightened to do anything that's out of her very small comfort zone. I don't think she knows how to try new things. Trying new things makes her uncomfortable, and I think she's afraid that if she got too uncomfortable she would loose control and put people in danger.

If only she knew that it doesn't have to be that hard. All around the room are the other Titans, moving, dancing, laughing and talking. We revel in the connections we have with each other. And there in the corner is Raven, the girl holding herself so still - the only stationary and immovable object in a room full of people enjoying themselves.

Can I ever teach her how to enjoy herself? Can I ever make her understand that feelings aren't meant to be locked away? Can I ever tell her that in my eyes, everything she does is amazing?

I realize that in watching her, I have stopped moving. I remain still, just like her. As if she senses the connection, her eyes suddenly rise up to meet mine. I stare across the room into her eyes and I can't control the smile that comes to my face. She gives a sour smirk back, but I can tell by the humor in her eyes that she doesn't entirely mind my attention.

I bite my lip subconsciously as the outline of a plan comes together in my head. Giving her another smile, I jerk my heads towards the door. She frowns slightly, as if confused as to why I would want to leave. I nod encouragingly and casually make my way out the common room door.

Hoping she's following, I don't find out until I reach the bottom of the steps to the roof and she materializes next to me.

"What are we doing, Beast Boy?" she asks flatly. I don't answer as I start climbing the stairs quickly. I hear her sigh behind me, but thankfully she climbs up behind me.

"I refuse to help you in playing any of your ridiculous pranks," she says with a touch of annoyance as we step out onto the roof. I swallow a laugh at her comment. Surely she knows that I haven't been playing pranks for a long time.

We can still hear the music from the party, but it seems much more pure in the night air. Turning around to face her, I hold out my hands. She raises an eyebrow and stares at them curiously.

"What?" she asks, exasperated.

"We are going to dance, Raven," I say confidently. She opens her mouth and I can see the protests about to begin. "No excuses! No one is going to see you, so it won't ruin your scary reputation." She glares. "And this way you can practice without being nervous, because I know you don't like this kind of stuff."

"So, you think I'm willing to embarrass myself in front of you?" she asks, unconvinced.

"Well, I hoped so," I say quietly, a burst of shyness making its way into my voice. I mentally kick myself for sounding so sappy.

She thinks about it for a long time, and I almost give up. Did I really think this would work? Maybe I am an idiot like she always says. I've asked her to dance before, only to be coldly pushed away, watching her retreat further into her shell. What made me think this time would be any different?

"Fine, let's dance," she finally says with a small smirk, and to my surprise, a slight redness on her cheeks. I smile widely and reach out for her hands once again. Aside from a slight hesitation, she doesn't flinch at the contact.

"Beast Boy, do you even know how to dance?" she asks sarcastically when I don't move after taking her hands.

"Well, no. I just do whatever I feel like," I answer sheepishly. Raven rolls her eyes and I can't help but laugh at her face.

"You're so cute, Rae," I blurt out unthinkingly. I quickly pull her into a dance, hoping to cover up my words with a distraction. If only I could keep my big mouth shut. I'm trying to help her try something new, not scare her away with declarations of love.

We move haphazardly around the roof of the tower, mostly with me pulling her around. I try not to meet her eyes, but I can see that her cheeks are slightly flushed. From my comment or the dancing, I don't know which.

The next song comes, much faster with a strong beat that vibrates us even all the way up here. I let go of her hands and begin dancing on my own. I know I must look ridiculous, but I just let the music move me wherever it likes.

Raven stands uncertainly where I left her. I know she can't decide what to do. She wants to go back inside, back to her room, where no one will try to pry her from her shell. But the fact that she's stayed this long means that some part of her does want to stay and learn how to let go.

"Come on, Rae! Just move!" I yell encouragingly. She remains with her arms crossed and her eyes darting around uncomfortably. I stop my dancing and walk over to her. I can see her trying to retreat into herself and rebuild her barriers.

"Close your eyes, Rae. It helps. Don't think about what you're doing, okay?" I say, trying to make her realize that I'm not going to hurt her. I know she's embarrassed, but if only I could tell her that she never has to worry about being embarrassed in front of me.

I move slightly away and start dancing again, making sure to close my own eyes. I don't want her to feel like I'm watching her, judging her.

I smile as I feel the movement of another body in the air. I don't have to open my eyes to know that she's dancing too. We don't touch, don't speak to each other, but for some reason I feel so close to her.

Could I help her try other things, too? I can't help but be encouraged by our success. I imagine all the things I would help her do, things that she thinks are beyond her reach.

I want to tell her how I feel, make her understand that she can trust me with everything.

"Hey Rae?" I ask, wanting to share my optimism with her. I want to give her some hope.

I open my eyes after she doesn't answer, and my body freezes.

She's dancing. Gorgeous Raven is dancing as if she can feel everything. I see no inhibition, feel no fear coming from her, and I laugh, a sudden rush of euphoria coming over me.

She stops and snaps her eyes open. There is about to be embarrassment and hurt in her eyes, and I want to keep it from coming.

"Raven, that was awesome!" I yell, happily bounding over to her and pulling her into a hug. I laugh again. I'm proud of her – so proud. To my surprise, I feel her hands on my back, returning the hug gently.

"Thank you, Beast Boy," she whispers softly into my shoulder. I pull back slightly so I can see her face. Surely I'm imagining things, but I think there are unshed tears in her eyes.

"Rae, when it's just us, um… you ca-can call me…Gar," I hear myself stuttering like an idiot. She smiles shyly, amusement now in her eyes.

"Gar?" she questions.

"Well," I wrinkle my nose, "I prefer that to Garfield." A small sound escapes her, and it takes a moment before I realize what it was. Such a beautiful and rare sound, Raven's laugh.

"Thank you, Gar," she says quietly with a small smile. I smile back and pull her in for another hug.

"You're welcome, Raven."

"…With you, I don't mind…Rae," she mumbles as her hands curl on my back. I close my eyes. I can't believe I'm not dreaming this.

"You're welcome, Rae."

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE.

These stories are meant to be unrelated one-shots. I have so many ideas for these two, I thought putting them into a collection would be the best way to go. (As opposed to having a billion separate short stories)

What does this mean for you? You don't have to read the chapters in order or worry about forgetting what happened in a previous chapter.

Also, I hope the abundance of paragraphs doesn't bother anyone. I prefer to read stories in this type of format. A huge clump of words with no space in between the sentences/paragraphs is enough to make me not read a story.

Please let me know of any spelling or grammatical errors.

_Paralyzed _NOTES

With this little story, I really wanted to emphasize how much Beast Boy wants Raven to not be trapped within herself. To have someone like Beast Boy who will never let you feel embarrassed for doing and feeling new things is a true gift. I'm jealous, Raven! ^_^

Of course, I do not own Teen Titans.


	2. Danger

_**Danger**_

"How was I supposed to know your book would try to eat me?" Beast Boy yelled hysterically, trying to defend himself. An angry Raven stood in front of him in the hallway, obviously not convinced to be lenient.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to touch my things?" she asked with a sour look on her face. Beast Boy held his bleeding hand to his chest and pouted.

"But Raven, I didn't exactly mean to touch it. I only picked it up for you!" Raven glared at him.

"After you knocked it off the table," she said viciously. Beast Boy laughed sheepishly. He doubted if he would never win an argument with her – but that had stopped bothering him a long, long time ago.

"Well…yeah, but that was an accident," he admitted, giving her a stunningly charming smile. Raven's eyebrow twitched slightly.

She growled quietly, reaching over to grab his bloody hand. Beast Boy watched as her healing energy flowed over the wounds, sealing them.

"Thanks, Raven." He gave another smile, but she didn't look up to see it.

"You're welcome," she said softly, dropping his hand before turning to walk away.

"Oh, Beast Boy?" she paused before turning the corner, "At least don't touch the books that have 'DANGER' written across the front."

As she turned down the hall, she finally allowed a small smirk to creep across her face as she heard him talking to himself.

"What's she talking about? It didn't say "Danger" on it anywhere! Okay, well maybe it did, but I doubt it was even written in English! Does she expect me to be able to read all of her ancient jibber-jabber?"

Raven snorted to herself as she looked down at the book she was carrying, the word "DANGER!" written clearly on the cover in English

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A short dose of humor.


	3. Betrayal

**_Betrayal_**

I never take chances or risks; every decision I make is calculated. My self-discipline never fails; I never have moments of weakness. I have spent years building walls around myself. I must be steadfast, for if I have even a momentary lapse in control, I could bring disaster - Disaster that would rain down upon the friends who have become my family.

And yet, for some reason, he convinced me to abandon my caution, and I felt my barriers fall down. It was as if I no longer remembered the danger inside of me. I was so distracted by his empty promises. My self-control disintegrated into thoughts of companionship and love.

I never knew I had a heart, let alone that it could be broken. Did I really think that I was capable of finding love? Love - an emotion that I am trained to suppress until it becomes unrecognizable.

Now I am feeling so many emotions, all of which I should be burying. I am embarrassed that I could be so easily tricked. I am ashamed that I would trust so recklessly and risk everything I have. Am I truly so desperate to hear such words of kindness? Why else would I have believed him without question?

I cannot believe I allowed myself to be so easily taken in by a liar. I have never thought myself to be a girl swayed by pretty words, and yet I was. I felt no hesitation, nor did I question his motives. I believed everything he said to me.

For that, I feel like such a fool.

I always question, always suspect an ulterior motive. My experience has taught me to expect it. No one comes near without an intent to use me for their own desires. Did I really imagine it would be any different with him?

I will never again forget who am I. I will never entertain the possibility of having things that were not meant for me. Never again, because now I know what happens when I think foolishly.

My heart gets broken, my trust gets betrayed, and then I am truly alone.

I should have known from the beginning.

A knock on my door startles me, and I hear Beast Boy begin to talk. I speak to him, but I do not know what I say. The comforting voice of someone I know I can trust washes over me.

"You think you're alone, Raven, but you're not," pierces through the darkness to my ears.

And somehow, I feel brighter.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Very short glimpse into Raven's mind after Malchior's betrayal.


	4. Lesson

_**Lesson**_

"Will you please stop watching me?" Raven asked grouchily. She was currently facing the stove with her back to Beast Boy. He smiled, arms propped up on the bar and his chin in his hands.

"But Raven, I have to watch!" he said disapprovingly. "I wouldn't be a very good cooking teacher if I didn't supervise my student!" Oh, how he loved to frustrate her.

"You aren't teaching me how to cook, Beast Boy. You are simply teaching me how to make one simple dish," she said monotonously as she turned around holding a frying pan.

Her dark violet hair clung to the sides of slightly sweaty face. He could see the aggravation in her eyes, and his nose picked up her…apprehension? He was happily surprised at the fact that she seemed to want his approval.

Beast Boy sat up expectantly as she crossed the kitchen, eager to inspect her work. She shoved the pan in his face unceremoniously.

Beast Boy's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Raven, I thought you were making scrambled eggs," he said uncertainly. She pulled the pan back, looking at him with confusion.

"I did, Beast Boy," she stated, one eyebrow raised. Beast Boy swallowed a chuckle.

"Raven, I don't know how to tell you this, but…" he paused and bit his lip, "those are not scrambled eggs." He crossed his arms matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" she asked, looking down at the pan in confusion. Beast Boy couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

"Well, let's see…they're not scrambled – at all. They aren't supposed to be in one big piece like a pie that you would cut slices out of! You obviously didn't put enough milk in, because they look dry enough to be part of the Sahara desert. And…why are they blue?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Oh the silliness…

_


	5. Distraction

_**Distraction**_

Raven shook her head, still frustrated over their ridiculous battle with Mumbo. He seemed to think it was quite hilarious to wave his wand and make bunny ears appear on her head. The first time it happened had been aggravating enough, and that was over six months ago.

Raven found it almost insulting that they had to fight a villain with such annoying habits. He certainly wasn't one of their toughest enemies, far from it. The Titans knew it was a guaranteed victory for them whenever Mumbo showed up on the scanner. Despite the fact that he didn't usually do much actual harm, Raven still dreaded battling him more than any other.

Beast Boy stood quietly next to her on the top of the skyscraper, waiting for her to say something. Experience had taught him it was actually not always best to open his mouth right away. It was obvious she was not in the best mood for teasing.

Most people would have, of course, assumed that Raven was never in the best mood for such a thing. Beast Boy was fairly certain he was the only person to know differently. Sometimes, on very rare occasions, he could smell her slight amusement as he teased her. After much observation and a bit of deep thinking, he concluded that Raven occasionally enjoyed it when he bothered her.

Realizing the others had already left, he looked over at her slyly. He wanted to raise her spirits, but knew better than to bring up the bunny ears, even in a teasing way. Personally, he didn't see what was so bad about them. He certainly wasn't complaining, since they made her even more adorable.

"Hey Raven, watch this!" He yelled suddenly, running full speed towards the edge of the building. He thought that perhaps a good old-fashioned distraction would snap her out of it.

"Beast Boy, what?!" Raven asked, shocked as he jumped over the edge with a Tarzan-like yell. The moment of sheer panic roughly pulled her thoughts away from the bothersome Mumbo.

She knew he could fly, knew he would be fine, but she couldn't help but run to edge and look over. Nothing was ever certain with Beast Boy, and Raven knew that all to well. There was no way she would let him die and have it be blamed on her simply because she had assumed he would change into a bird.

Yet there he was, flying back up towards her as an eagle. He landed gracefully next to her, transforming back into himself.

"What the hell was that for, Beast Boy?" she asked incredulously. He shrugged in his infuriating way, giving her a smile. Her slightly panicked tone gave him great satisfaction. She had at least been concerned for him – thank goodness for small miracles.

"Just showing off," he laughed. Raven groaned and placed a hand on her temple. "But hey, I made you forget about the bunny ears, didn't I?"

"Ridiculous," Beast Boy heard her mutter before she flew off. He smiled to himself.

"Oh yeah, she digs me."

XXXXX

Not sure where this came from!


	6. Smile

_**Smile**_

It was a fairly average day for the residents of Jump City's Titans Tower. The morning had brought a light sprinkling of crime, just enough for the five teens to break a sweat. Naturally, the villains were apprehended successfully.

Lunchtime found them having a congratulatory meal at their favorite pizza restaurant. Of course, no meal with the Titans was complete without an argument over appropriate toppings.

Now late afternoon, the superheroes were all engaged in their customary activities. Such a good, albeit ordinary, day left them all feeling quite content.

Cyborg was lovingly upgrading various speakers in the T-Car, relaxing after what he felt had been a productive day kicking butt and taking names.

Robin was working, as he was the most responsible – which consequently also made him the most uptight. Truthfully, he was diligently attempting to work, but was finding it impossible to think clearly thanks to the alien beauty who had graciously volunteered to help him.

Beast Boy was enthusiastically playing the Game Station, bouncing on the couch with every shot he fired at the army of zombies. Surprisingly, this behavior had not earned him a reprimand from the sofa's other occupant – a quietly reading Raven.

Everyone knew Raven always read, so no one bothered to give her a second glance. If they had, they would have realized her eyes were not moving and she was not her usual calm self.

Something important must be on her mind, if it was enough to distract her from reading. She was indeed thinking, and attempting to convince herself to speak of these thoughts to the changeling.

"Beast Boy?" she asked suddenly, her tone slightly annoyed, though she hadn't meant for it to be. He paused the game quickly, expecting a not-so-polite request to either sit still or shut up.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning to face her cautiously. She had such an odd mixture of scents coming from her, it was impossible for him to tell if she was angry or not. He watched curiously as she closed her book with a snap and met his eyes determinedly.

"Beast Boy, I don't know what to get you for your birthday," she stated, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. He certainly wouldn't have guessed that's what she would say.

"So could you please just tell me something you want, and I'll get it? And don't give me any of the 'it's the thought that counts' nonsense," she finished, crossing her arms as if daring him to argue with her.

"But it is the thought that counts, Raven!"

"Not to me," she answered shortly. Beast Boy frowned at her lack of sentimentality.

Before he could argue with her further, an idea popped into his head. He could definitely think of something he wanted from her. Although it was true that he would honestly love any gift from her.

"Actually, there is something," he began with a smile. "Do you remember the first time we met?" She raised an eyebrow at his unusual and seemingly unrelated question.

"Yeah, so?" she said flatly, shrugging slightly.

"What I want for my birthday is the same thing you gave me then," he said happily. Raven stared at him blankly, not following his thinking at all. He was always so hard for her to understand.

"Uh…"

"A smile, Raven," Beast Boy said quietly with a small smile of his own. Her eyes widened, and Beast Boy could smell her embarrassment.

"That's it?" she questioned hesitantly. He nodded encouragingly at her. She rolled her eyes, hoping to distract him from the blush she felt on her cheeks.

Beast Boy prayed she would agree. After all, he had picked something that didn't have to be bought at a crowded store. He knew she wasn't fond of those.

He couldn't think of anything else that he would rather receive from her. He loved it when she smiled. It was soft, gentle, cautious – characteristics normally never attributed to her.

After a moment, she seemed to accept his request and gave him what she thought was a genuine smile. It was so rare for her to truly smile, she wasn't entirely sure what it was supposed to feel like.

Apparently, she had gotten it right, because Beast Boy's face lit up with a splitting grin.

"Thanks, Raven," he said sweetly, watching as she blushed even more under his stare.

"You're an idiot," she murmured, hiding back behind her book as she heard him chuckle.

XXXXXXXX

I love having Gar embarrass Raven – so cute.


	7. Behavior

_**Behavior**_

A long, withdrawn sigh broke the silence in the kitchen of the T-shaped tower. Cyborg looked up from his meaty breakfast to stare curiously at the green boy sitting across the table from him.

Beast Boy was significantly slumped down in his chair, looking almost as if he would slide completely out of it at any second without even noticing. The metal teen cocked his head to the side, pondering what could be causing his friend to act so unlike himself.

Beast Boy stared into space with glazed eyes, one hand holding a spoon that was haphazardly stirring his sugary cereal. Cyborg hadn't heard one anti-meat remark from him all morning. Actually, he hadn't heard one word from him at all!

This was definitely not how Beast Boy normally acted. Usually it was impossible to keep him still or quiet without threats of bodily harm. And that was out, since Raven hadn't been seen all day.

Cyborg knew something had to be wrong. He was concerned for his friend, but he still couldn't help but imagine all the childish pranks he could pull while Beast Boy was zoned out. Another sigh escaped from the changeling's lips, this one even louder than the last. Cyborg's eyebrows furrowed together in puzzlement.

"Yo, BB, man! What is up with you lately?" Cyborg finally spoke, breaking Beast Boy out of his reverie. He looked around, disoriented, as his hand jerked and knocked over his bowl.

"Huh? Whassit?" He asked, finally seeming to take stock of his surroundings. Cyborg watched Beast Boy suspiciously as he attempted to wipe up the milk with a single napkin, which only succeeded in making a larger mess.

"I said, 'What's wrong with you, man?' You have seriously been acting weird," Cyborg said bluntly. Beast Boy stopped his futile mopping and sighed yet again.

"I feel weird, Cy! I don't know what is with me. I feel so strange; it's really freaking me out! I get hot and then cold, but not like I'm sick or anything. It's not all the time, though. Only…when…well…" he coughed uncomfortably before continuing.

"I can't sleep without waking up a million times. And when I do manage to sleep, I have crazy dreams. I don't remember them when I wake up, but they make me feel really restless, like they make me want to do something, but I don't know what it is!" He pulled his hair, exasperated, and let out a groan.

"Hmm…" Cyborg pondered, "Any other physical symptoms?" Beast Boy's eyes widened slightly.

"You mean I might really be sick? Oh man…" Beast Boy dropped his head into his hands in despair, not seeing the momentary smile on Cyborg's face.

"Well, I can only think of one thing," Cyborg began seriously. Beast Boy looked up at him with apprehension in his eyes. Cyborg's serious expression suddenly evaporated and he smirked. "It must be love."

Beast Boy stood up sharply, knocking his chair over with a bang.

"WHAT? No!" he yelled, blushing furiously. "I don't love Raven!"

After this exclamation, the room was filled with nothing but silence. Cyborg sniggered silently while he watched Beast Boy's face as he comprehended his words.

"Oh…" he said in a croaking voice, seemingly realizing for the first time that he just might be in love with the dark empath.

XXXXXXXXX

Wow, the first actual appearance from another titan! Amazing!

Side Note – Chapters will not necessarily be in chronological order. (Since they're meant to be unrelated, I don't think that should be an issue.)


	8. Prank

_**Prank**_

A loud banging noise jerked Raven out of her meditation. She landed on the bed roughly, her hands instinctively reaching out for balance. The fog of her trance gradually cleared away as she came back to her surroundings. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her suddenly racing heart, grateful that she hadn't been levitating over the cold metal floor

The banging noise came again, and she furrowed her brows suspiciously. What ridiculous prank was Beast Boy up to? It was highly doubtful anyone else would be stupid enough to create such a disturbance without at least some warning. She sighed and pulled on her cloak, resigning herself to searching for the changeling.

It would be much better for Beast Boy if she was the one to catch him instead of Robin. The boy wonder had been less tolerant of Beast Boy's pranks ever since he woke up one morning to find pictures of Starfire in a bikini plastered all over his room.

Raven never could figure out how Beast Boy pulled that off without waking Robin. To call their leader a light sleeper would be an understatement of ridiculous proportion. She would never condone such a juvenile prank, but it certainly had been amusing to see Robin close to exploding from fury.

She floated quickly down the halls, attempting to follow the noise to its source. She certainly wouldn't be making it a habit to rescue Beast Boy from Robin's wrath, but she had to admit that sometimes she wanted to have the pleasure of punishing him.

Only because he was such an idiot, and it was only fair to be allowed a little revenge for the countless times he bothered her.

The noise had come once more, loud enough for Raven to deduce she was very close to the source. She floated slowly to the end of the next hallway before stopping abruptly in front of a door as the noise came again.

This certainly wasn't where she had imagined she would end up.

"Beast Boy?" she asked, knocking on the bathroom door loudly. The sound of the shower running could be heard clearly.

"Did somebody knock? Come in!" Beast Boy yelled. Raven raised a distrustful eyebrow. He wanted her to come in while he was taking a shower? Was he even actually in the shower, or was he trying to cover up an incriminating noise that would give away his prank?

She just prayed he wasn't attempting to flush Cyborg's meat down the toilet again. That was a mess she definitely would not be willing to help clean up.

She closed her eyes, just in case, and opened the door. Steam immediately billowed from the room, surrounding her with moist warmth.

"Finally you heard me, Raven! Dude, you can open your eyes," Beast Boy said happily. Cautiously, she opened one eye. Upon seeing the changeling's head poking out of the shower curtain and the rest of him safely hidden, she opened the other.

"Were you making that racket?" she asked flatly, giving him an annoyed glare. He smiled and nodded at her pleasantly.

"May I ask why?" she questioned, rolling her eyes. He was being irritating on purpose, surely. The air was so hot, and that didn't help her mood. Raven felt smothered both by the heat and the fact that she was in the bathroom with an undressed Beast Boy.

"I needed somebody to come get me some more shampoo! I'm totally out!" he exclaimed dramatically. Raven stared at him blankly for a few seconds, amazed that after all these years he could still surprise her with his stupidity.

She let out an exaggerated sigh before opening the cabinet under the sink and searching for his precious shampoo. The sooner she got out of there, the better.

"It's the red one," he said helpfully, though to Raven it sounded mocking, as if he were manipulating her. She wondered how hot the water was, and did he always turn it so high? It was almost hard for her to breathe.

"This?" she asked, holding a red bottle out from under the sink.

"Yep!" She rolled her eyes again at his cheerfulness before standing up. She desperately wanted to get out of that room – that room that was terribly too small, too warm.

"Wait," she paused as she closed the cabinet's door. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Why couldn't you get out and get it yourself?" Beast Boy cocked his head to the side as though he were thinking.

"You know what, Raven? I guess I could."

And he did just that.

Raven hurriedly closed her eyes; she heard him fling the shower curtain open and step onto the tiled floor.

"Beast Boy! What the…" she stopped, her cheeks heating up as she felt his wet hand take hold of hers.

That hand…that wet hand attached to the rest of his wet, naked body... Raven's breath caught in her throat as her brain went down that path of its own accord. It felt as though a million flames danced under her skin, adding to the incredible heat both from the room and that hand touching hers.

"Thanks, Rae," he whispered quietly, taking the shampoo from her grasp. He smirked in amusement as he saw her shake slightly when his hand left hers. He knew he had gotten to her, he could smell it.

Oh, he had really gotten to her.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but her mind was completely devoid of thought. One second was a thousand years, and yet she was still unable to speak. Standing there, trapped with her eyes still closed, the only course of action she could comprehend was to retreat. She whirled out of the room quickly, sliding the door shut. With a pounding heart and flushed face she hurried away, leaving a giggling changeling behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Honestly, even I didn't know that was going to happen. I started writing this, and before I knew it, Gar's prank became busting out of the shower onto Raven. Heh…

And no, Raven didn't see anything. For all we know, Gar was fully dressed. Hmm…

The world will never know…


	9. Horrific

_**Horrific**_

_Oh, by Azar, what possessed him to put that thing on? _

He had been growing constantly over the past six months, complaining at every opportunity about the pants and sleeves that were now too short. She kept telling him to change his uniform, that he looked like an adult going Trick-or-Treating in a kid-sized costume.

"Do I really look that bad?" he had turned and asked Robin, who wisely declined to comment – which only made him realize…he probably did look that bad.

And yet he still procrastinated. Every day he would complain – it tugged here, it bunched there. Every whining comment from his mouth brought the same question from hers.

"Why haven't you gotten a new one yet?"

He never had a good answer, or even a passable excuse. Yes, they had been busy battling Control Freak - for fifteen minutes. Did that somehow make it impossible for him to do anything else during the rest of the day?

Cyborg had even offered to help him, to which he had given a noncommittal reply.

"I'll get to it."

She couldn't understand why he felt the need to be so incredibly difficult. It wasn't as if he had to change the design, the colors, anything! It could stay exactly the same, just make a bigger one.

"This freakin' spandex!" he burst out suddenly one day as they sat eating pizza. "Rae, I don't know if my boys will be able to work properly at the rate they're being squashed in this suit!"

She finally had enough. Red-faced and furious, she yelled at him, threatening to never go out in public with him again if he didn't get a new suit **today**.

He left quickly, a terrified look on his face. The others were surprised, certainly, at Beast Boy's…interesting comment and at Raven's reaction. But thinking about the end of his complaints left them reluctant to argue with her about being too harsh.

She had expected him to come slinking back a few hours later, wearing a new suit that fit, and apologizing for being such an idiot about it.

She really should have known by now – **never** expect the expected with him.

But she had assumed, had expected him to act like an adult – and that was why she was now sitting open-mouthed in shock, staring at a green-skinned, pointy-eared Superman.

"So Rae, how do I look?" he asked her, dramatically tossing the long red cape behind him. The ridiculous pose, with hands on his hips – the cheesy grin – the absurd piece of red cloth over the pants that really did look like underwear when she thought about it…

Only one word could sum up her opinion at that moment.

"Horrific."

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I wrote this one a bit differently than normal. I also used a random word generator, just for fun.

Yes, I am such a sap that I was able to turn the word "horrific" into silly fluff-fest. But that was honestly the first thing that popped into my head – Raven telling Beast Boy his outfit looked horrific.


	10. Snow

_**Snow**_

"Raven! It's snowing!" exclaimed an overexcited Beast Boy as he banged on Raven's door. When the changeling had woken up this morning to find the ground covered in a white blanket, he had immediately begun plans for the Titans to have a fabulous snow day.

He loved snow. He always had, though he wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it had something to do with growing up in Africa, where snow was a foreign and unimaginable concept.

"Raven!" he yelled again happily, determined to include her in the day. No way was he going to pass up a chance to chuck a snowball at her face. "It's SNOWING!"

"Fascinating," Raven said flatly from inside her room. She rolled her eyes. Beast Boy was crazy if he expected her to voluntarily leave the heated tower and go out into the cold all because of a little precipitation.

"Come out and play with us!" she heard his voice take on the slight whining tone that he so often used with her.

"I don't 'play', Beast Boy," she said loudly in a bored voice. Really, did she seem like the type to have snowball fights? Though Beast Boy wasn't exactly known for using his brain, Raven expected he could figure that out at least.

"But…SNOW!" He yelled pitifully against the door. The corner of Raven's mouth twitched slightly. Despite the fact she had known him for years, he still surprised her with how juvenile he could act.

"Yes, I believe I got the message that it's snowing," she said blandly. Her mouth twitched again as she heard him let out an exaggerated groan.

"Raven in the snow…she loves to play all day…" Beast Boy suddenly began to sing to the mangled tune of "Jingle Bells". Raven's eyebrows shot up in disbelief and slight revulsion.

"She will throw snowballs…if I can have my way…" he continued with nauseating cheer. Raven snorted quietly to herself. He was always so willing to make a fool of himself in front of her. She normally found it quite disturbing, so it was extremely surprising to find herself suddenly thinking it could also be…charming.

"I'm not going to stop until you come out and play!" he said giddily before continuing. "Raven in all white…What a funny sight…We could have a lot of fun with Raven in the snow…Oh!"

Before he could launch into the chorus, the door slid open and he was rewarded with a face full of snow, courtesy of Raven's powers.

Beast Boy sputtered indignantly as cold droplets dripped onto his chest. Raven smirked as she leaned against the doorway observing her handiwork. It had been easy enough to teleport a small…that is, a rather _large_ snowball into her room. She was quite pleased – after all, it wasn't everyday Beast Boy was shocked enough to forget how to speak.

He furiously wiped the snow from his eyes to see Raven already walking away from him down the hall.

"Are you coming or not?" she paused momentarily before turning the corner. Beast Boy blinked once slowly before grinning and bounding after her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Random…

Beast Boy starts singing Jingle Bells at the point of "Dashing through the snow…" I sang it with his lyrics to make sure they matched somewhat.


	11. Holiday

**_Holiday_**

"What's your favorite holiday, Raven?" His voice is suddenly next to her on the couch, pulling her back into reality. She grumbles quietly under her breath before shutting her book. The grinning changeling sitting next to her waits patiently.

"What made you think such a random question was worth interrupting my reading?" she asks him, clearly annoyed. Beast Boy's bottom lip sticks out slightly at her tone.

"Aw, come on, Raven! I'm just curious about you," he says honestly, catching her off guard. She sighs, thinking how best to answer.

"I don't know, Beast Boy. Probably Christmas," she says, no longer annoyed. She's learned over the years that sometimes it's worth it to humor him.

"Really?" He seems genuinely surprised by her answer. "But, it's so…cheery and shiny and happy and you aren't any of those things." She smirks slightly. He really could be funny, when he didn't know it.

"How very observant of you," she says with a hint of laughter in her voice. "I don't much care for the commercialized institution it's become, that's certainly true. It's…" she pauses hesitantly. Looking up, she sees him watching her intently. His eyes are welcoming, encouraging her to share. She sighs quietly.

"You do know what Christmas actually is, don't you?" she questions with eyebrows raised.

"Uh…December 25?" he answers, a little unsure if she's trying to trick him. She forces herself to swallow a laugh.

"No, you idiot," she says flatly, barely a hint of teasing in her tone. "Do you know the origin of the holiday – the event that is meant to be celebrated?" Comprehension suddenly comes over his features.

"Ooh, that's what you meant! Well, yeah, of course I know – it's the day Jesus was born," he says, happy that for once he knew the answer to something she asked.

"That's why I like it," she states quietly. "A savior being born as a human infant in order to take on the burden of everyone's sins and forgive them…It's comforting."

"I never would have guessed, Raven," he says with a rare gentleness, not wanting to make her regret sharing something so personal. He knows how incredibly rare it is for her to open up; he wants her to know he appreciated her trust in him.

"It seems strange, I know," she laughs dryly. "I'm a half-demon and my favorite holiday is the son of God's birthday. But…if he really can forgive everyone…" She pauses, looking away. "Who needs redemption more than the spawn of a devil." She says bitterly, making Beast Boy's heart ache for her.

"Oh, Raven. You're so much more than that. We all know that, and so does He," he says in rare seriousness, placing a comforting arm around her shoulder. She lets out a quiet chuckle.

"Thanks, Beast Boy," she says, grateful for the ease his words have somehow given her heart. "And thanks…for asking, and for caring enough to listen to the answer. You really are a good friend," she pauses hesitantly, "my best friend."

He looks into her eyes, thoroughly shocked by her admission. There was no mistaking the joy in his heart that came from hearing those words.

"I never knew I was so important to you, Raven," he says in a whisper as he holds her tighter.

"You didn't?" she asks, leaning into him almost imperceptibly.

"You don't exactly wear your heart on your sleeve, you know," he says with mockingly wide eyes. She gives him a small smirk in return.

"That's a bit of an understatement," she says humorously. He chuckles lightly and moves her head to lay on his shoulder. Surprisingly, she doesn't resist. "Well in the spirit of Christmas 'cheer'…You do mean a lot to me Beast Boy. I'm sorry if I don't always act like it."

"That's okay, Raven. I know now, don't I?" he says with a smile. She sighs contentedly as they sit together in comfortable silence.

Until a scheming grin appears on her face…

"So, Beast Boy – what's your favorite holiday? St. Patrick's Day?" He lets out a burst of laughter at her sass.

"Low blow, Rae!" he insists, letting out a huff of annoyance. "If you must know – It's Easter," he says seriously. She looks up at him curiously.

"Why?" He gives a dramatic sigh at her question.

"Well you see…Easter seems like the best chance I have of seeing you as a bunny again."

Even as she elbows him deep in the ribs, they both can't help but smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I really like the idea of this being the reasoning for Raven's favorite holiday. And I just couldn't resist the bunny comment…

Merry Christmas everyone!


	12. Injured

_**Injured**_

Cinderblock grabbed a large piece of jagged metal and sent it hurtling towards Raven. Unfortunately, she was a bit preoccupied digging Robin out from under a pile of rubble. The boy wonder was unharmed, but was buried in such a way that it was impossible to maneuver free.

"Raven, look out!" he yelled suddenly as he looked up to see the large object currently on path to slam straight into her. The startled empath turned with barely a second to change its trajectory with her powers. Yet despite Robin's warning and her quick reflexes, she felt the sharp bite of metal slashing into her arm.

With no time to give her wound a moment's thought she swung back around to Robin and lifted him free with one mighty surge of power. She answered his question before he asked.

"I'm fine, now let's go."

She completely forgot about the damage until she heard Starfire gasp as they stood circled around the fallen Cinderblock.

"Friend Raven, you are injured!" she yelled dramatically, causing everyone's eyes to move to the blood-soaked sleeve of her uniform. Uncomfortable with the sudden attention, Raven shifted her cloak in an attempt to hide the evidence.

"It's just a cut. I'm…" but before she could finish, there was Beast Boy suddenly at her side, green eyes filled with concern and worry.

"Let me see, Raven," he said firmly, like a mother to her child. Raven gave him a slightly annoyed glance. Who was she to be treated like a child?

"I'm fine, Beast Boy," she ground out, stepping out of his reach. He let out a frustrated sigh, and before she could escape found his hands holding her injured arm.

He found the tear in her sleeve as Raven stood grouchily, tapping her foot impatiently. Without a word, he tore off the sleeve from the injury downward, exposing the long red gash along her arm.

"No, I didn't need that sleeve. Thanks for asking," she mumbled sarcastically under her breath.

"Come on Rae, just let me kiss it and make it better," he said, sounding less serious. He smirked cheekily at her, and for some ridiculous reason she found herself blushing. She opened her mouth for a bitter retort but felt her entire body freeze at the unfamiliar feeling of his tongue sliding across her flesh.

Looking down at him with wide eyes, her mind seemed unable to compute what she was seeing. Surely that wasn't Beast Boy kneeling in front of her, licking the blood from her wound. She couldn't possibly be enjoying the sensation of his tongue on her skin.

No, surely not.

He gave her injury one last brush, so light she was ashamed to admit that it made her body shudder. Licking his lips deliberately, he grinned up at her flushed face.

"Better?" he asked teasingly, while Raven could now hear the beginnings of laughter from Robin and Cyborg. She ground her teeth in frustration. Why did he always push her buttons? Better yet, how did he even know _what _her buttons were?

And better still…why was she beginning to like it?

The embarrassment was becoming too much to handle, and she began to get angry with him for making her embarrassed in the first place. How dare he invade her personal space, when he knew how important it was!

One more look at the silly grin on his face was enough to make her snap.

She smacked him roughly on the back of his head, effectively sending him face-first into the ground. As she hurriedly began to fly towards home, she could hear the echoing laughter of the other two males.

Groaning, Beast Boy pulled himself upright, brushing off his chest and spitting out dirt every few seconds.

"Please friends, what is the matter with Raven?" asked a puzzled Starfire, looking to the three boys imploringly.

"Nothing, Starfire," Robin said as he took in a deep breath to calm himself. Beast Boy let out a small chuckle.

"Don't worry Star. If she can hit me that hard, she's fine."

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

This is another "random word generator" chapter. They're actually pretty fun. I try to do them in one sitting, so I don't loose my original inspiration. (That's also why they are on the short side, though I do go back and proofread.)

Another negative word - and I make it fluffy. I think I have fluff pox. Blargh…

I just kept hearing Starfire saying, "Friend (fill-in-a-Titan), are you injured?"


	13. Eavesdrop

_**Eavesdrop**_

With my very talented pointy ears I could hear them through the common room door. Yes, I suppose that would count as eavesdropping. It's certainly not the first time I've used my hearing for less than noble purposes. It's not like I go around spying on people all the time, though. But if I happen to catch something interesting…it'd be such a shame to interrupt, don't you think?

After I heard Robin say my name, I leant comfortably forwards, putting my ear against the metal door. There were a few things that I never passed up an opportunity to listen in on - people talking about me was one of them.

"Have you noticed it too?" Robin asked. I could hear the leader concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I guess so. Why is it such a big deal?" Cyborg said. From the sound of things, he was making breakfast. That meant he was probably paying a lot more attention to his meat than he was to Robin.

"I just want to make sure nothing's going on between them," Robin said, slightly irritated that Cyborg wasn't as worried as him.

"Like what? You think the two of them are secretly madly in love or something?" Cyborg guffawed. I raised my eyebrows at this interesting new development in the conversation. I could only assume who the other half of the "two" was, and it brought a satisfied smirk to my face.

"Cyborg, I'm serious. What if they've had a huge fight? I can't have this team be affected by their inability to tolerate each other," Robin said, beginning to sound quite frustrated. I chuckled silently.

"What's so funny?" a low voice suddenly came from behind me. I hate it when she sneaks up on me like that! That's probably exactly why she keeps doing it.

"They're talking about us," I said, giving her an amused smile.

"Who?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Robin and Cy," I answered, motioning for her to come closer. "I have an idea." She rolled her eyes.

"And when has one of your ideas ever ended well?" she spat back quietly, though I could see the hint of laughter in her eyes.

"Okay, okay – here's the plan…"

XXXXXX

"I just want to make sure…" Robin's sentence was interrupted when the door swished open for me and Raven. He immediately stopped talking, turning away from Cyborg to glance at the door.

"Morning Raven, Beast Boy," he said, surprisingly neutral. I held back a laugh. You aren't the only one in this tower who knows how to act, Robin.

"Hey guys," I said cheerfully as I went down the steps.

"Ya'll sleep well?" Cyborg asked conversationally, flipping his bacon. I faked a yawn and gave a long stretch.

"Could have used a bit more," I looked over at Raven stepping down to stand next to me and I smirked. "But I'm certainly not complaining," I finished, giving her a wink. She blushed, making me feel quite proud.

Even she couldn't fake a blush, and it gave me great satisfaction that she actually was remembering last night. That was definitely the best part of this prank – they didn't know it wasn't completely untrue.

I glanced up and was happy to see that both Robin and Cyborg's mouths were hanging open.

"Gar," Raven said in mock scolding tone, "I asked if you were ready to go to sleep." I reached over, snaking my hand around her waist and pulling her to face me.

"I wasn't," I murmured, making sure the two in the kitchen could still hear me. The smell of burning meat was in the air – obviously Cyborg was too distracted to remember his precious bacon. Not that I was going to remind him, of course. I was having way too much fun.

"Actually," I said, twirling a piece of her hair before picking her up in my arms. She let out a small noise of surprise that I knew was genuine. I hadn't exactly told her this part of the plan. I walked carefully back up the steps, smirking down at her confused face.

"See you guys later, okay?" I said as the door opened. "We have some…business to attend to." The door slid shut behind us with a hiss, and I finally let out a chuckle.

"What…?" Raven started before I shushed her and moved so that both of our ears were against the door.

"Did you see…?" Cyborg asked flatly.

"Yeah," came Robin's dry-mouthed reply.

"What…what…" Cyborg stuttered, apparently unable to form any more words.

"I am so…confused," Robin said. And he did sound very, very confused. I laughed and began walking down the hall with Raven still in my arms.

"So…" I looked down to find her smirking at me. I gave her a toothy grin. "Any chance we can continue where we left off last night before you kicked me out?" She snorted quietly, but her face flushed all the same.

"Not a chance, lover boy," she glared at me playfully before wiggling out of my arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Started writing with no plan whatsoever and this is what I got. Can't you just imagine Cyborg's eyes bugging out of his head? ~snicker~

I will not have computer access for approximately a week; don't expect an update before next weekend.

Happy (Early) New Year!


	14. Confession

_**Confession**_

I'm in love. She seems so perfect to me – perfect _for_ me. I always want to be with her. I can't imagine a future without her in it.

She's the one.

I know it.

It makes so much sense. Maybe not to the world, but to me it does.

Everything she does pulls me in. I have no control over it; I do it instinctively. I always want to be near her.

She leaves me breathless. All it takes is one touch, one glance, and it's as if the wind is knocked from my chest. Whenever I look in her eyes, time freezes. I don't know how much longer I can hide it from her.

I love her.

I love her and I want to tell her a million times a day.

When she meditates, eyes closed and body relaxed – I want to tell her. When she reads her books and does her best to ignore the racket in the room – I want to tell her. When she quietly sips her tea – I want to tell her.

When she sits alone or retreats into her room - I want to tell her. When she doesn't join in, purposely distancing herself from us - I want to tell her. When she smells of fear or loneliness - I want to tell her.

Every time I see her hide in her shell - I want to tell her. Somebody loves you, Raven.

Never mind that the somebody is me, I just want her to know she's loved.

She doesn't realize the reason why I do it all. Every joke I tell to try and make her laugh. Every time I interrupt her meditation. Every time I knock on her door and coax her to come out. She doesn't know everything I do is born from love.

I don't think I can stand it anymore. I'm going to have to tell her soon, or I know I'll go crazy.

She deserves to know that she is truly loved, even at the expense of my pride and dignity.

Suddenly, I feel determined. Tomorrow - I'll tell her tomorrow. I smile and look up at the moon.

"I LOVE YOU RAVEN!!" I yell, a wolf howling at the moon. Satisfied with myself, and with new purpose, I turn around confidently to go inside.

She's standing there, her mouth open, staring at me. And just as suddenly as it came, all of my confidence vanishes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Short, but I _really_ like it.


	15. If

_**If**_

I don't know what would happen if he ever stopped loving me. The end of the world? That's probably a bit optimistic.

I can only imagine the terror I could unleash were my heart broken so completely. Fire and death would prevail.

That's why I tell him that he has to be absolutely sure he means it when he says it.

If he didn't, and someday it caught up with him…

If someday he realized everything he was missing by being with me…

If he ever found someone else who wasn't such a burden…

If he stopped loving me, I feel quite certain it would be a long and painful death for the universe.

I told him it wouldn't be easy, being with me. In fact, I told him it would be damn near impossible. But since when has he listened to me?

So instead I warned him what would happen if his heart no longer had room for me. Everyone would die, agonizingly slowly, and it would be entirely his fault.

Every day for a year, I stalled him, telling him if he was going to change his mind, now was the time to do it.

If he convinced me to open up my heart, he would never be able to close it. I discouraged him at every turn, because someone with my handicaps should not be allowed to love. Stupid changeling said he didn't care, he loved me anyway.

I painted a vivid picture for him of what would happen if he ever stopped loving me. It chilled him to the bone, but he didn't show a trace of hesitation.

The universe would cease to exist – but what about me? I'm sure I would continue to exist in a continual fit of rage from the heartbreak. He seemed more concerned about what would happen to me than he was about the fate of the universe.

I suppose I could be imagining things a tad dramatically, but it sure does make it easier to guilt him into doing the dishes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This was quickly written while listening to the song "If You Ever Stopped Loving Me" by Montgomery Gentry. I wanted it to be contradictory (Raven seeing the end of the world humorously and seriously), like the song. It turned out slightly weirder than I wanted…


	16. Mine

_**Mine**_

"What you drinking, honey?" a slick-haired man leaned against the wall next to Raven. She raised an eyebrow, not dignifying his question with an answer or any other reaction that she noticed him at all. She did not find him threatening in the least, and simply continued watching her other friends on the dance floor.

"Oh, you're a tough one. I can play that way," he said smoothly, moving to block Raven's line of sight. She sighed in annoyance. She never had understood why the other Titans enjoyed these clubs. Being close to so many strangers was bad enough; being hit on by those strangers was even worse.

"Not interested. Move along," she said flatly, making a shooing motion with one hand and purposely not meeting his eyes.

"Hey, at least give me a chance," he laughed, taking a hold of the hand she had waved with. She frowned and groaned inwardly. Either he was a moron, or he was too drunk to recognize her as Raven, the "scary" Titan.

Not that she would ever admit it, but having a dark reputation had its benefits.

Before she could open her mouth to threaten him with severe bodily harm, she felt a familiar presence approaching. She snorted.

"This should be interesting," she mumbled in amusement.

"Are you touching my girl?" a new voice growled from beside them. Without waiting for an answer to his question, Garfield grabbed the man by the shirt and shoved him roughly away from Raven.

"Stay away from her," he snarled angrily, gnashing his teeth threateningly. Obviously not willing to argue, the man stumbled away hurriedly.

"Temper, temper, Gar," Raven said, smirking from behind as he watched the man's retreat. He turned quickly to face her, smiling wickedly.

He moved to mold his body to hers and kissed her intensely, forcing her back against the wall. His hands held her hips tightly, but despite her usual dislike for such public displays, she found herself not wanting to pull away.

"Mine," he whispered gutturally against her lips. Raven chuckled quietly.

"The Beast sure is feisty tonight," she said teasingly. Garfield pulled back slightly, looking less aggressive and much more like his usual self. He laughed sheepishly.

"Yeah, maybe a little," he admitted, rubbing his neck nervously. He smiled at her, and she reached up to kiss him gently.

"Mine," she murmured, making Garfield laughed quietly.

"All yours, Rae."

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

I'm not opposed to the theory of the Beast being an instinctual version of Beast Boy. It would certainly make for some interesting situations.


	17. Virtual

_**Virtual **_

Cyborg and Beast Boy waited eagerly for the newest character they'd unlocked to appear on the screen. They'd been playing the recently released video game for hours, and now they finally would have access to all eight character choices.

"I still think the ninja with the flame-thrower is the best one so far," Beast Boy said. Raven groaned quietly from behind them on the sofa. How many times could they have the same argument? Who really cared which character was the best?

"Are you crazy, grass stain?!" Cyborg cried out dramatically, turning to stare at the changeling. "Anybody with half a brain can see that the Buddhist monk with the lightsaber sword thing would kick your sorry ninja's butt!" Beast Boy fumed and crossed his arms angrily.

Raven reluctantly looked up from her book and sighed. There was no way she could concentrate with the two of them yelling at each other. Hopefully when the newest character emerged, they would cease their bickering and she could continue reading. Bored, she watched the progress bar on the screen change from 80% to 85% and so on as the image loaded.

After it reached 100%, Raven blinked in shock, forgetting about the annoying boys. She was surprised to see the image of a woman who looked very similar to herself. The hair was a good bit longer, but the color was the same. Her skin was pale, and her eyes the same deep purple. Even her outfit was eerily familiar, though it showed a great deal more skin and had a lot of unnecessary hardware.

Raven frowned in distaste. She certainly didn't care for the idea of her virtual twin being used as a sexualized video game character designed to appeal to male hormones.

Beast Boy and Cyborg finally noticed the last character had been revealed and both looked to the television screen eagerly.

There was a stunned silence before both boys voiced their opinions at exactly the same time.

"That looks just like Raven!" Cyborg exclaimed. Raven shifted uncomfortably, but knew that his comment was not without cause.

"Dude, she is hot!" Beast Boy proclaimed.

Raven's eyes widened, her face aflame. She hurriedly turned to glance at Beast Boy. He had dropped the controller and was blushing madly.

Cyborg snickered into his hand and quietly snuck out of the room. Raven saw him leaving, but didn't see any point in stopping him. The less people here to witness her embarrassment, the better.

"Uh…," unsure what, if anything, she should say, all that came out of her mouth was a strangled sound. Beast Boy cleared his throat awkwardly and slowly turned around to face Raven, though he made sure not to meet her eyes.

"I didn't mean…well, I did…but not…" he fumbled awkwardly as his blush deepened. "Err…that is…Oops?" Beast Boy laughed sheepishly. Raven stared down at her hands, unsure exactly why she was so humiliated. Beast Boy sighed loudly and plopped down slightly away from her on the sofa.

"Raven, I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I guess I probably offended you, huh?" he asked nervously. Raven shrugged minutely.

"Whatever," she stated flatly, determined not to let him see how strangely vulnerable she was feeling.

"No, not whatever, Rae. I really am sorry if I upset you. But…" his tone was suddenly teasing. "It sure is interesting, don't you think? There's a game character who looks like you…I think she's easy on the eyes…Pretty interesting."

Raven's heart gave a strange quiver as she looked up to see Beast Boy smiling shyly at her. She quickly glanced back down at her hands again, but she gave a small sideways smile.

"Interesting," she whispered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Random word prompt)  
I kept having to rewrite this one to get the logistics right.


	18. Bad

_**Bad**_

"RUN!!" Beast Boy yelled hysterically as he came dashing into the common room, running as though death itself was on his heels. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg looked up simultaneously, but went right back to their lunch after seeing Beast Boy's face.

They knew it wasn't death chasing him – It was only Raven.

As they predicted, Raven materialized in the doorway a mere second later. Her eyes were dangerously close to turning red, and she looked a good foot taller than normal thanks to her rage.

"What is wrong with you?" She growled viciously at the quivering green boy in front of her. The others watched sympathetically as Beast Boy's eyes moved frantically back and forth seeking a way to escape. Unfortunately, he could think of no way out of his predicament. Considering how mad she was, he doubted there was any way for him to remain unscathed.

Unless…

He moved, and then suddenly the changeling was directly in front of Raven. Taking advantage of the surprise, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back against the wall, while taking care not to hurt her.

He saw the anger in her eyes replaced with shock. Knowing this would be his only chance, he gave her an evil smirk.

"Raven," he purred, "have I been…bad?" he finished, suggestively licking his bottom lip. At his last word Raven blushed fiercely, her mouth falling open slightly. He gave a satisfied giggle before disappearing from the room so quickly that he was sure even Kid Flash would be proud.

Beast Boy's plan had worked quite well, for it took Raven a full thirty seconds to move, let alone remember that she was not alone

The other three Titans stared at Raven in astonishment, varying levels of amusement showing in their expressions. Starfire covered her smile with her hand, trying to at least save her friend some embarrassment.

"What?" Raven snapped, after turning to see them watching her.

"So Raven, tell us – is Beast Boy 'bad' often?" Cyborg asked teasingly with a mischievous grin. Robin chuckled and even Starfire couldn't suppress her giggle.

Raven flushed again and pulled up her hood, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Damn that sexy green moron."

A black band of energy slapped Cyborg's head roughly as she floated out of the room, trying her best to remember exactly why she had been so mad at Beast Boy in the first place.


	19. Jealous

**_Jealous_**

I am so totally and completely jealous. Of who, you ask? Oh, not a person, that's what's so ridiculous about it. I could understand if I was jealous of Robin or Cyborg, but that would make my life just too easy, wouldn't it? (Hey, I'm being sarcastic. She must be rubbing off on me.)

I'm jealous of everything! Anything that can get Raven's attention, I suddenly find myself glaring at it. It doesn't do any good, because it's not like her herbal tea can fight back or anything. Really, how stupid is that? I'm jealous of her tea!

The other night I saw her on the roof, looking up at the sky. I found myself giving the evil eye to the moon. A few days before that, we were finishing a mission when it started to rain. I couldn't stop staring at her, desperately wishing I could be gliding over her skin like the tiny droplets of water.

I think I'm going crazy.

But is it really so crazy for me to want her to notice me?

I just want a positive reaction from her. Or even a neutral reaction! Either of those would be preferable to the negative emotions I always seem to cause.

It's not fair. The sunset, the moon, whatever – she looks at them calmly, observing them for what they are. But yet she can't look at me like that. She doesn't see me for what I am and what I could be. When she looks at me, she's frustrated before I even do anything, because she assumes I'll never change.

I guess I can't blame her for thinking that way, because even after all these years I haven't changed very much. The biggest change is one that I have purposely hidden from her – that somewhere along the way, I fell in love with her.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

I'm quite fond of this one.


	20. Travel

_**Travel**_

It was a stormy Friday night in Jump City. A heavy rain coupled with occasional thunder and lightning kept everyone comfortably indoors. Even the criminals seemed to have put their plans on hold in order to avoid the dreary weather.

Though most would be likely to complain about such weather, two occupants of Titans Tower were finding it thoroughly enjoyable. It gave them an opportunity to do nothing other than be together.

Raven and Beast Boy were lying comfortably side by side on the empath's bed. Her curtains were wide open, giving them a view of the storm.

Beast Boy smiled happily at her, thankful to have a rare peaceful moment. The corner of Raven's mouth raised upward in reply, silently returning his sentiments.

He placed a hand on her hip softly as he pressed his lips firmly to hers. Raven closed her eyes and curved her arm around his back, holding him close. He chuckled into her mouth and she couldn't help but smile against him. They knew their minds were both thinking the same thing.

Raven had never expected to be comfortable with being physically close to someone. They had both been pleasantly surprised to find that over time it got easier for her. She no longer stiffened when he touched her skin; she was able to relax into him. She was even more surprised to discover that she could enjoy it – the kisses and caresses…the feel of his arms around her.

Raven moved her lips gently against his and felt pride rise up in her chest as he let out a muffled sigh of contentment. He kissed forcefully in return before pulling back slowly and taking in a deep breath.

"Rae, I was hoping…wondering…" Beast Boy bit his lip nervously as Raven watched him curiously. "Would you let me travel to…um…uncharted territory?"

"Are you speaking in code?" she asked blandly with both eyebrows raised in confusion. Beast Boy blinked.

"Am I?" he questioned dumbly. Raven narrowed her eyes at him.

"You must be, because I have no idea what you're talking about," she said with a sigh, tracing a finger in circles on his back. He squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze, his eyes flitting around the room.

"Never mind, Rae, it's nothing," he mumbled before moving in to kiss her again, only to be stopped as she placed both hands on his chest.

"No, it's not nothing," she said insistently. "Whatever it is, it's making you incredibly apprehensive and…a little excited?" she finished hesitantly, looking at him with questioning eyes.

"Rae! Are you reading my mind?" he accused teasingly while he attempted to remove her hands. She stubbornly refused to move them, not wanting him to escape the conversation by distracting her with one of his hypnotic kisses.

"I could if that would make it easier," she retorted. Beast Boy's eyes widened.

"NO! Please don't, Rae!" he exclaimed, grabbing her hands pleadingly. His reaction shocked Raven. He knew she couldn't fully read someone's mind without that person's conscious permission. What would possibly make him so frazzled that he'd forget?

"Relax, Gar," she whispered gently, finally moving one of her hands from his chest so she could rest it on his cheek. When he met her eyes now, he saw her concern. "What's making you so agitated?" she asked as she caressed his face with her thumb in an attempt to calm him.

"I wish I hadn't even said anything, Rae," he grumbled unhappily. "Now you're going to drag it out of me, and I don't want you to take it the wrong way." She pulled away from him slightly, jerking her hands back towards her.

"It's nothing bad about you, Rae," he said quickly as he grabbed her hands. "I just…AGH! I wanted to ask your permission to do something, but I won't be mad if you say no. I don't even want to ask you anymore – I'm afraid you'll think I'm being…" he babbled ridiculously as Raven watched with growing apprehension of her own.

"Gar, I still have no idea what you're going on about. Will you just tell me?" she asked irritably.

"But it's embarrassing…" he whined with a pout. Raven's eyebrows furrowed.

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" she asked uncertainly. Beast Boy looked at her strangely and wrinkled his nose.

"Huh? No. Why? Do you?"

"No, you idiot!" She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, okay. So…why'd you bring up the bathroom?" he asked, looking at her as if she slightly crazy. Raven glared.

"You said it was embarrassing, so I was just guessing," she said with a frown.

"Oh…" he drawled slowly. Seeing an opening, he leaned in and kissed her once more, only to be pushed off a mere three seconds later.

"So…?" she frowned at him again, making it clear that she wanted an answer.

"But, Rae," he whimpered pitifully.

"Gar, for goodness sake!" Raven growled, grabbing his shirt in her hands. She kissed him roughly, moving her lips aggressively against his until she could feel his emotions becoming a puddled mess. She broke the contact and was satisfied at the fuzzy look in his eyes.

"Tell me," she whispered firmly. He stuttered briefly as he waited for his brain to pull itself out of the stupor her kiss had caused.

"I was wondering…only if you wouldn't mind…could I…um…" he raised a shaking hand to hover inches above her chest.

"You're asking permission to grope me?" she asked in astonishment.

"See? It sounds awful, doesn't it?" Beast Boy said pathetically as he let his hand fall to the bed. His eyes cast down in shame, he didn't see the smirk that had burst onto Raven's face.

"Gar," she began slowly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I would be comfortable with that…yet." Beast Boy's head jerked up, his large eyes meeting her amused ones.

"Wha…that…you mean…would…someday?" his tongue fell over the words awkwardly in his nervousness.

"Maybe…" Raven gave him a small smile, biting her bottom lip shyly. Beast Boy grinned at her like an imbecile as his cheeks flushed profusely. Her smile widened slightly and she felt her own cheeks heat as well.

Their lips met again, smiling at the thought of what someday…every day in their future might bring.

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(Random word prompt) It took a bit of time to think of something besides the mundane (airplanes…boarding passes…gas stations…etc.) And then this came out of nowhere….

...blushes madly...


	21. Home

_**Home**_

She'd been away so long, so very long. Despite her dampened emotions, there was a small smile creeping onto her face. She was finally going home, back to the only place she ever been truly happy.

Back to the boy…the man, now, who had made her feel truly alive for the first time in her life. She had missed him terribly. It had taken her years to understand why.

Weaving through the other pedestrians, she felt light enough to be made of air.

The faces blurred as she passed them. She hadn't realized how fast she was walking until she nearly barreled into someone.

She was surprised with herself, and slightly flustered. To know that the desire to see him was affecting her so strongly was strange. Strange, but at the same time it was exhilarating.

She couldn't remember ever being so eager to see someone. There had never been anyone for her to care for like this.

The ocean appeared suddenly over the hill, and a grin burst forth.

She was almost home.

Suddenly, her feet were running. She was speeding through the air, feet kicking up sand along the beach.

She knew now, she would never be leaving here again. This tower, this was her home. Her friends, her family, were here. Her heart belonged with his.

Raven took to the air, flying low above the ocean waves. A splash of nervousness burst into her heart. She found herself hoping they still remembered, still had a place for her in their hearts.

After all it took for her to understand why she left, and why she had to come back…she couldn't bear to be rejected.

The panic almost overtook her, until she saw the tiny figures in the distance.

There they were - her family. Jumping up and down happily, waving their arms as if she could somehow miss the gigantic tower standing tall in the sea.

The banner strung across the tower read, "Welcome Home Raven!"

Then she knew for certain – this was where she belonged. This was her home, and they were her family.

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I'm not sure yet why Raven was gone. Maybe I'll figure it out someday.


	22. Lasting

_**Lasting**_

I thought about it a lot. I didn't want to tell her without making sure I knew what I was doing. I'm satisfied that any argument she could give me, I have a rebuttal.

I'm positive. I have no doubt about it.

She is the love of my life.

It took me a long time to come to that conclusion. I had to make sure that she was, if I wanted any chance with her. I spent hours figuring out exactly why I loved her. I tried to imagine if there was anything that could ever change the way I feel about her.

I could never settle for not being with her. As long as I breathe, I will always want her to be with me.

I want us to be more than we are. It pulls at me, the feeling inside my heart. It tears me apart inside, begging for her to come closer and open up to me. The only thing I want is for her to see what I see – to feel what I feel.

I know how vulnerable she is when it comes to love. Love is an emotion she believes is not meant for her. I know she's wrong, though. Usually she's the smart one, but if only she could feel how much I love her, she would know.

I will never turn my back on her, even for a moment. She will always be the only one I need, the only one I want. I know that we could last forever, if I could convince her to try.

If there were a way to show her inside my heart, let her see how sure I am of my love for her. I'm not playing games with her; I'm not manipulating her.

The only thing I want from her is a chance. If she would give love a chance, I know she would feel what I feel.

Raven.

My love.

My only love – forever.

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My apologies for not responding to last chapter's reviews! I am on my way out of town and only have a little time. I will respond when I return.


	23. Doctor

_**Doctor**_

Beast Boy woke up slowly, the cold air of the morning finding its way under the blankets to disturb his slumber. He rolled to the center of the bed, instinctively reaching his arms out for Raven.

She wasn't there. He opened his eyes, puzzled as to the whereabouts of his wife. Granted, she usually got up earlier than he did, but she rarely left the bed without at least a kiss or a word of greeting.

The green changeling groaned as he sat up, looking around the bedroom with bleary eyes. He threw off the covers and shivered from the early spring chill. It was only then that he heard a strange retching noise coming from the connected bathroom.

Grabbing the previous day's shirt from where it had been discarded the night before, he pulled it on hurriedly and rushed to the door.

"Rae? Babe, are you okay? I'm coming in!" he said, panicking. Pushing it open, he saw her kneeling hunched over the toilet. Rushing to her side, he placed an arm around her shoulders worriedly.

"Raven? What's wrong? What do you need? What can I do?" he babbled nervously. She reached up to flush and let out a long sigh before giving him a tired glare.

"Shut up. Water and a wet washcloth. Please," she rasped. Beast Boy nodded.

"Right, right." He stood up and scurried over to the sink, taking a washcloth from the shelf. Raven slid back away from the toilet in order to lean up against the wall and stretched out her legs as she watched him. His hysterical actions, all stemming from concern, were actually adorable to watch.

He knelt down and handed her a small cup of water. As she drank it greedily, he wiped her forehead and neck gently with the cool towel. He sat down between her legs, putting his own on either side of her body.

"Rae, what's the matter?" he questioned once she had swallowed the last sip. Giving him the tiniest glimpse of a smile, she reached out to take his hand in hers.

"Gar, I think we should go to the doctor today," she said quietly. Beast Boy's muscles stiffened and his hand clenched around the wet cloth. His heart beat jumped and his palms started to sweat.

"What's wrong with you, Raven?" he asked, his throat tight from the sudden shock. His mind raced, imagining horrible possibilities – a disease so terrible that Raven couldn't heal herself.

Raven moved Beast Boy's hand gently in her own and placed it lightly on her stomach. Her eyes leapt up to meet his confused gaze. He didn't know what she was trying to tell him. There was a strange look in her eyes, and a nervous smile on her face.

And then he realized.

"You're…?" he croaked in a voice he didn't recognize as his own. Raven bit her lip and gave him a sideways smile.

"I think so," she whispered softly, squeezing his hand. A tiny smile burst from his lips, slowly widening until his cheeks burned. His chest fluttered as he took her face in his hands, her own smile blooming brighter.

"A baby…Raven…" he stated breathlessly before jumping up and pulling her with him. "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!" he yelled happily with a laugh.

"Hush, Gar!" she scolded with a small laugh. "Don't go telling the world until we know for sure, would you?" Beast Boy grabbed her in a hug, wrapping his arms around her as tight as he dared.

"Rae…you're going to be a mommy," he said with a sweetly teasing tone. Raven rolled her eyes half-heartedly.

"I certainly hope so…daddy."

Beast Boy ran out of the bathroom, whooping loudly before leaping onto their bed and jumping excitedly. Raven shook her head in loving exasperation.

_Here we go…_

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(Random word prompt)

Awwww…


	24. Outfit

_**Outfit**_

"There's one thing I've never been able to figure out, Rae," Beast Boy said curiously, breaking the easy silence that had fallen over the two of them as they lounged on Raven's bed. She turned onto her right side, prompting him to turn onto his left so they were looking in each other's eyes.

"Only one thing? Wow, you're smarter than I thought," she said with a sarcastic smile.

"Rae…" he whined pathetically, giving her his best pout. She rolled her eyes and reached out to take his hand.

"What is it?" she asked as he played with her fingers, all traces of his pout gone.

"Why do you wear a leotard?" he asked seriously. Raven raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Well, Gar, as much as I'm sure _you_ would love it," she said teasingly, "I can't go around fighting crime naked." He smiled cheekily at her and purposely licked his bottom lip.

"Oh, I think I would love that very much," he murmured, happily rewarded as her cheeks reddened slightly. He really appreciated her pale skin – it made it oh, so easy to tell when she blushed. He giggled as she glared at him in feigned annoyance.

"No, what I mean is – you're such a private person," he said with curiosity. "It seems like you would wear long pants or something loose. But your leotard…well…" He moved his eyes slowly up and down her body, knowing she was watching. He met her eyes with a smirk. "It hugs your…curves quite nicely."

Her face flushed considerably, making Beast Boy's smirk widen. He could almost feel the warm embarrassment pulsating off her.

She always felt that strangely happy embarrassment when he talked to her this way. As he said, she was a very private person, but she quickly grew accustomed to this type of attention from him. And after she had grown accustomed to it, she found herself beginning to crave it.

Of course it embarrassed her to talk this way, to hear him say these things about her, but the strange giddiness that she always felt was well worth it.

"I never thought of it like that," she finally said quietly, wondering how long he'd had that…opinion of her outfit.

"I have," he said wickedly. "I've thought about it a lot." Raven's eyes widened at his boldness, but she couldn't help but smirk.

"Pervert," she accused monotonously. He laughed and reached out, pulling her towards him.

"Only when it comes to you, Rae," he whispered, their lips a mere breath away. He gave her a gentle smile, feeling her heartbeat next to his. Her hand moved to brush along his cheek before she kissed him softly.

She smiled as she pulled back and lay comfortably in his arms. He sighed contentedly and buried his nose in her dark hair.

"You know," she breathed into his neck. "It's not like your suit leaves much to the imagination either, mister," she said flatly as she gently brought one of her knees up to nudge between his legs. He let out a loud burst of laughter at her daring.

"Why, Raven! If I didn't know better I'd say you've been checking me out," he said dramatically, moving her head up so he could meet her eyes. A blush adorned her cheeks, but she smiled at him.

"Well, then it's a good thing you don't know better."

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

I've always wondered that – why the heck does she wear a leotard? So I imagined Gar asking her…and you can see where that led. I can be such a perv when it comes to Raven and Gar…~blush~


	25. Fall

**_Fall_**

A nearly full moon shone down upon Jump City Bay and the small island located within. Most of the city was enjoying a peaceful slumber, as were the majority of the residents of Titans Tower.

Much to her dismay, Raven was not one of the slumbering Titans. Sleep seemed far from her grasp as she flipped onto her other side in an attempt to get comfortable. Her eyes glanced at the clock and she groaned in frustration. Had an entire hour already passed since she first attempted to go to bed?

Deciding that sleep would continue to elude her, Raven reluctantly left the comfort of her bed. Summoning her cloak, she stepped into her boots and opened the door. Walking quietly, she made her way to the door of the roof – her second favorite spot of the Tower. Not wanting to bother with the door, she simply phased through it into the calming night air.

Before she could take a single step away from the door and onto the roof, she heard a splash from the ocean below. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in worry. It had not sounded like the mere crashing of a wave against the rocks. Desperately hoping she wouldn't have to wake the others for an intruder alert, she walked quickly to the edge.

The very moment she made it close enough to look down, a huge green eagle soared straight upwards in front of her. Raven let out a startled puff of air and stared curiously at Beast Boy as he climbed higher and higher into the clouds until she could no longer see him at all.

Thankful that there was nothing more sinister happening than Beast Boy attempting to use a brain (a lost cause, in her opinion), she sat down cross-legged near the edge. Glancing back up at the sky, she finally saw the changeling reappear.

Only this time, he was in human form.

Raven frowned. She was quite sure she did not like where this was going. Agonizingly long seconds went by as she watched him plummet through the clouds. Several times she had to consciously will her heartbeat to slow down.

Beast Boy loved feeling the rush of wind against his skin. It was liberating to be up so high, watching the ocean come closer as his body sliced through the night. A rush of adrenaline hit his system, and he knew it was time to change.

Raven watched in puzzled awe as Beast Boy abruptly changed into a dolphin mere seconds before hitting the water. The green dolphin disappeared into the waves, then broke the surface, jumping a few times. Despite her lack of knowledge on the behavior of marine life, Raven could tell he was enjoying himself.

She had absolutely no idea what he was doing, but that didn't stop her lips from curving upwards in amusement. It didn't surprise her when he jumped again and changed into a pterodactyl in midair.

Raven was content to watch as he continued with his strange exercise of flying up and falling down - again and again. Each time he changed into a different animal right before impact with the bay - A dolphin, an orca, a polar bear and now a gigantic shark.

A small snort of laughter escaped her lungs as she watched him fall again with his arms and legs spread out wide and a smile on his face. She found it amazing, and somewhat ridiculous, at how much enjoyment he could find in the strangest things.

Beast Boy relished his last gravitational pull; he knew it was quickly getting late. He glanced over at the Tower, wondering if Robin really expected him to be up for early morning training or…

His eyes widened in surprise. Was that Raven on the roof? She looked so peaceful sitting there in the moonlight. Wait, had she been watching him? How long had she been there? Why was she on the roof in the first place?

He didn't notice that he was dangerously close to the water, he didn't wonder why Raven suddenly stood up and flung out her hands. In fact, his brain only resumed functioning when he realized that he was no longer moving.

Raven muttered under her breath. He had forgotten to transform. If she hadn't been watching him and had the sense to catch him with her powers, he would have slammed into the water. How could he be such an idiot? Had it simply slipped his mind? Was he distracted thinking about his next prank on Cyborg?

"Hiya Raven!" Startled by Beast Boy's sudden greeting, Raven's concentration broke. Her energy vanished and she lost her grip, dropping Beast Boy to fall the remaining few feet into the ocean.

She heard a short scream cut off by a splash as she rolled her eyes. Looking down at the changeling who was now floating in the water she frowned. He gave her a sheepish grin before transforming into a petite sparrow and flying towards her perch atop the tower. He landed beside her as a dog and happily shook himself off as Raven shielded herself, a look of disgust on her face.

She dropped the shield and sat down in her previous spot as he transformed into himself. Humming happily, he flopped down beside her with his legs over the edge. Raven stared at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Beast Boy, what were you doing?" she questioned incredulously. She didn't expect a logical answer of course, but curiosity was tickling her brain. He turned to look at her with a grin.

"Falling," he said simply, as if no more explanation were needed. He smiled again as she groaned quietly in exasperation. He knew she found it impossible to follow his logic. It made aggravating her incredibly fun – and incredibly easy.

"May I ask why?" she asked reluctantly, expecting that this answer would be even more ridiculous.

"It's fun," he said with a shrug. "Plus it lets me experiment with different animals. Find out which one hurts the least diving into the water. You know, stuff like that." He didn't mind if she could never understand him, but he did at least want her to know he did use his brain. Occasionally.

Raven's eyebrows quirked in surprise, just as he had hoped. "I wouldn't expect you to do something so…"

"Smart? Clever? Responsible?" Beast Boy interrupted her eagerly. Raven simply nodded before looking out over the ocean. Beast Boy puffed his chest out slightly, proud of himself for impressing her.

Swinging his legs back and forth he smiled happily before gazing sneakily over at Raven. He studied her quietly, much of his attention focused on the hood covering her head. He frowned in thought for a few moments before speaking.

"Hey Rae?" he asked conversationally.

"Raven," she stated flatly. He gave an exaggerated eye roll, knowing she couldn't see him. His manly pride told him he would have rolled his eyes even if she had been able to see him. But…he knew that was a lie.

"Hey Raven?" he amended, placing emphasis on her name.

"What, Beast Boy?" she asked begrudgingly.

"Can I ask you something?" he questioned optimistically.

"You just did," she answered monotonously. Beast Boy dropped his head back with a groan.

"I mean something else, Rae, duh!" Raven grimaced. Did he not know how to listen?

"It's Raven," she said deliberately. Beast Boy huffed dramatically.

"So, Raven, can I ask you something?" he asked in a mockingly pleasant voice. The corner of Raven's mouth twitched. He walked right into that one.

"You just did," she grunted, making certain to keep the amusement out of her voice. Azar knew the last thing she needed was Beast Boy thinking he was funny.

"ARGH! You know what I mean! Stop playing dumb!" Beast Boy pointed at her accusingly, unaware of the tiny smile on his teammate's face.

"Spit it out, Beast Boy," she barked forcefully.

"Why do you always put your hood up?" Beast Boy blurted, catching both of them off guard. Although in his defense, she had ordered him to do it.

Raven certainly hadn't been expecting that sort of question – something personal and therefore foreign to her.

"What?" she breathed softly, hands clenched in her lap.

"I said, 'Why do you…'" Beast Boy started, this time with more delicacy.

"I heard you, I just…" she paused, unsure how to continue – unsure of what she wanted to say. "Why does it matter?" she questioned dubiously, falling easily into her habit of suspicion.

"I'm curious," Beast Boy said gently after a moment. Raven made no move to look at him or answer his question. Beast Boy sighed imperceptibly, assuming she didn't want to talk about it, as was usual when it came to her.

"I suppose…it's a defense mechanism," she broke the silence, desperately hoping she didn't sound as uncomfortable as she felt. She hated talking about herself, she really did.

"Do you know what that means?" she questioned as she hesitantly looked over at Beast Boy. He gave her an exaggerated eye roll.

"Comic books can be very educational, Rae," he said with a snooty voice. Raven frowned at him, but to Beast Boy's glee, she didn't comment on the use of her nickname.

"Besides," he returned to his normal tone. "That's a pretty basic animal technique," he said with a grin. "I guess that means you're a turtle." Raven blinked slowly and raised her eyebrows.

"Could you explain, please, for those of us whose brains actually do work properly," she grumbled with a hint of her customary sarcasm seeping through.

"If you're feeling scared, you go inside your cloak, right?" Beast Boy paused, giving her a chance to correct him. When she didn't, he continued. "Well that's what a turtle does when it's scared – it hides in its shell."

"It's not like that!" the declaration sprang unconsciously from her lips. Raven bit her tongue, keeping more words from spilling out. What was she doing, talking like this with him?

"I didn't…I…" Beast Boy started haltingly, worried he had made her angry.

"Sorry," she whispered shortly. "I'm not mad." She glanced over at the changeling, the nervous look on his face making it quite obvious he didn't believe her.

"I'm not mad, Beast Boy," she waited to continue until he seemed to relax. "It just…It's not that easy," she sighed quietly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, gazing at her with a puzzled expression.

"I do not put my hood up only when I feel afraid, but if I begin to feel…anything. My emotions are…unpredictable at best. At worst…" she trailed off, staring down at the pale fingers entwined together on her lap. "By putting up my hood, it's easier to hide my emotions from others, which in turn makes it easier for me to bury them within myself, before they have the opportunity to express themselves."

Beast Boy stared at her thoughtfully as he tried to digest what she had just shared with him. He tried, but somehow his mind kept shifting to focus on the fact that she was having an actual conversation with him – and sharing with him. Raven didn't share. That was a fact, plain and simple. Perhaps it was because he was seeing the impossible happen that Beast Boy decided to push his luck, and hope it didn't push back.

"Can I take it off?" he asked, silently pleading with her. Begging her not to retreat into her shell as she did so many times.

"What?" she questioned in confusion.

"Your hood. Can I…" He stopped talking and ever so slowly reached over and pushed it back to fall around her neck. Now he could clearly see the amusement playing over her lips, as well as the suspicion in her violet eyes.

"Why the interest in my hood?" More aggressive than she meant to sound, influenced no doubt by the unfamiliar heat under her cheeks.

"If it's up, we can't see your face," Beast Boy stated, as if it were obvious. Raven snorted quietly.

"That is the point, Beast Boy," she mumbled with mock irritation. He blinked and gave her a genuinely sad look.

"But I want to see your face, Rae," he said, an unexpected vulnerability running in his words. Raven felt the strange heat bubble down into her chest. Certain she would be blushing momentarily, she automatically defaulted to instinct and reached back to pull up her hood.

"Rae!" Beast Boy cried out, slapping her hand down with his own. Eyes wide with shock, she jerked her head to frown at him. He chuckled nervously and forced a nervous smile. Raven huffed and put her hand back down in her lap, keenly aware of the flush on her cheeks.

"Sorry," Beast Boy apologized cautiously. The cold trickle of sweat rolling down his back made him realize he needed a way to break this tension – fast.

Beast Boy stood up swiftly, dropping his hand down in Raven's face. She looked up at him with a slight grimace, to which he simply smiled.

"Wanna fall?" he asked optimistically. Furrowing her eyebrows, Raven considered his offer. Without knowing exactly why herself, she grabbed his hand and allowed him to help her up. Beast Boy grinned happily at her.

"All right! You'll love it, Rae, I promise!" he bounced giddily on his toes. Raven sighed.

"So…are there any…guidelines or…rules for falling?" she asked monotonously.

"Hmm…" Beast Boy thought for a moment. "Not really. Just fly up, y'know. Then I guess you can count to three, and then we'll drop!" The excitement in his voice made Raven wonder if she should reconsider. Anything that made someone like Beast Boy this hyper could not be good for one's health.

"We should fall together, right? Like, at the same speed or whatever? Isn't that what Sir Fig Newton said? About gravity?" Raven's eyebrow twitched. Yes, she definitely needed to reconsider this.

"Isaac Newton, Beast Boy. And actually…" Raven's physics lesson was cut short when the changeling grabbed her hand and pulled them both over the edge. Raven sucked in a startled gasp, grunting out a curse under her breath before chanting her mantra and levitating next to the cocky green bird flying next to her.

"A little warning," she hissed sharply, sending a glare Beast Boy's way. "Oh, that's creative," she stated bluntly upon noticing he had tried in vain to be funny and changed himself into a raven.

Obviously pleased with himself, Beast Boy circled around her head before flying upwards. Raven shook her head in bewilderment. She would never understand that boy.

She took a moment to study the view of the bay as she trailed behind her green teammate. The night was certainly beautiful, at least to her. The calm stillness of these hours was a welcome change from their hectic lives.

The green raven hovered, waiting for her just a few feet away. Coming to a delicate stop nearby, she looked at him expectantly.

"What now?" she asked blandly. He screeched indignantly at her. "Oh, right. I count," she said flatly with a sigh. "One…two…three…"

Beast Boy changed an instant before Raven begrudgingly disengaged her powers. Consequently, they did not fall directly together as Beast Boy had wished.

Raven had to admit, she had never felt anything quite like this. She had fallen before, certainly – during battles for one. This was entirely different. The rush of wind through her hair, the sight of the rapidly approaching ocean below and the knowledge that she had willingly put herself in this situation. It was terrifyingly intoxicating.

Then suddenly, due to either instinct or common sense, she knew it was time to stop. Pulling herself to a halt, she saw Beast Boy flip joyfully into the water as some type of porpoise. She crossed her arms as he surfaced and transformed back into himself.

"Happy now?" she asked hopefully. Beast Boy pouted.

"No! You didn't drop your powers soon enough! We have to fall at the same time!" he exclaimed. "Let's try again!" another eager grin now adorned his face. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Fine…," she muttered. She began to fly upwards again, glancing at the little bird next to her with a frown.

"You think you're clever, don't you?" she remarked dully to the green robin twittering happily beside her.

They reached the designated "drop spot", although how Beast Boy knew where that was, Raven wasn't exactly sure. He twittered at her again.

"Yes, I know. Fall at the same time. Unlike you, I know how to listen," she said reluctantly. "One…two…three."

They plummeted miraculously in unison.

"YAHOO!" Beast Boy's excited cheer brought a small smile to the empath's face as she watched him, his hair waving frantically. An elated laugh bubbled from his chest as his green eyes turned to meet hers. His bursting grin eased into a misty-eyed smile as he stared at the girl beside him.

Raven's lungs gave an odd hitch as his gaze scorched her skin. Why was he staring at her like that? She felt his hand fumbling to clutch hers. She grabbed it desperately, in need of some sort of anchor to keep herself from drifting away. Her mind threatened to lose itself in the unfamiliar aura radiating between them, keeping her from breaking eye contact.

A million thoughts raced through her mind, most of them gone fast, without a chance to register. The blasting of the air and the pounding in her chest overwhelmed her senses as she lost her focus on everything but those bright emerald eyes. Beast Boy's own heart was hammering rapidly. For a moment he was so distracted with admiration he almost forgot to breathe.

Unfortunately, breathing wasn't the only thing he forgot to do, which he promptly realized as they slammed sharply into the ocean.

Sputtering in shock, Raven quickly healed her throbbing head and pulled herself to the surface. Water bubbles materialized nearby, preceding the appearance of a dizzy Beast Boy. His head emerged slowly and he wearily spouted water out of his mouth.

"Ugh…my head…" he croaked in distress. Raven hastily summoned her powers and created an energy disk. Hoisting his limp form unceremoniously onto it, she floated them up to the roof.

Beast Boy feebly plopped down with a moan as her energy dissipated.

"Where am I?" he questioned. Raven could tell he was slightly exaggerating, but she was sure his head was indeed hurting. He continued with his muddled speech, no doubt attempting to magnify his addled state.

"No sir, Mr. Batman…. I didn't touch your chickens!" he shouted dramatically. Raven rolled her eyes and knelt down next to him.

"Shut up," she instructed softly. Much to her relief and surprise, he did. She placed a hand on either side of his head, allowing her powers to ease the ache. His eyes gradually cleared and he sat up a bit straighter.

Beast Boy found himself once again staring into those purple eyes and loosing himself. He was too enthralled to notice her pale cheeks redden at his attention.

"Better?" she asked awkwardly, feeling the last bits of his pain drifting away.

"Yeah," he murmured with small dopey smile. Raven's throat caught awkwardly with her breath. Everything around her slowed down, making the beating of her heart seem even faster. She couldn't bring her hands to leave his face, mysteriously fascinated at the sight of her pale gray over his forest green.

Beast Boy felt the last trickle of her healing power leave his body, and yet she remained frozen as she was, cool hands on him. He knew his lips are parted, knew she could probably hear him gulping for air, knew if he didn't do something his heart might just explode.

Raven saw him coming closer, felt him leaning towards her; eyes wide, lips trembling and then…

His mouth was upon hers.

Beast Boy almost whimpered at the contact; he hadn't understood what his heart had been desperately begging for – this collision with her.

Raven stopped breathing; her heart ceased its beating. Her mind a whirlwind, and yet without a thought to be found.

Jerking away, Beast Boy pulled back as if burned, his eyes wide and his face pale. Staring at her, frightened and panicked, he rushed to the edge of the tower and disappeared.

A stunned, shocked, and dazed Raven eventually managed to teleport to her room and flop distractedly onto her bed, where sleep continued to elude her throughout the night.

With the morning sunrise, Raven pulled out of her stupor and opened her door distractedly. The calming presence of herbal tea called to her as she stepped into the hall.

Until she saw the note taped next to her door keypad. All thoughts of calm and peace were pushed away while her heart jumped and her hands began to sweat. She pulled it off cautiously, opening the single fold.

As she read Beast Boy's familiar handwriting, Raven felt every nerve within her body ignite, fanning the newfound flame within her.

_I'm falling for you._

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

This is one of my very first Raven/Beast Boy ideas, so it's very dear to me. In the process of expanding it, somehow it turned out very different that I first pictured – but I do believe I'm happier with this version.


	26. Snippets I

**_Lovin'_**

"Would you like some lovin', Rae?"

A huge and fluffy pillow collided roughly with the changeling's grinning face.

"Not anymore."

**_Paradise_**

Our lives will never be perfect. Our home will never be peaceful. We will always be in danger. We will always be risking all we have to help the world. It's not perfect, but who needs perfect when we have each other to share the imperfections with.

_**Sleep**_

I dreamed about her again last night. I don't remember anything, I just know it was about her, and feeling her love. I only feel that when I sleep, only when I see her in my dreams. I can never hope for it to be real.

_**Choices**_

I can't decide what will be better – the day she laughs at one of my jokes or the day she realizes she's in love with me.

_**Tight**_

When Terra came, it made Raven want to hang on tighter to her friends. And anytime she saw Terra with Beast Boy, she felt an even stronger urge to hold onto him for herself. But she didn't understand what the feeling was or why she had it, so she let him go.

_**Clumsy**_

I always make an idiot of myself around her. She thinks I really am an idiot, but she doesn't realize I can't think clearly when she's around.

_**Unexpected**_

"I never planned on this," she said.

"On what?" he asked.

"You," she answered softly.

_**Pirate**_

"Hey Raven? How do you think I'd be as a pirate?"

"Actually, it makes sense…Blackbeard, Redbeard – they could use a Greenbeard."

"Rae!!"

_**Sold**_

I fell in love today. All it took was one look at her face, and I was sold. I don't know what it was about her that captured my heart, but she grabbed it and will not let go.

_**Illness**_

Raven was sure something was wrong with her. She must be sick, surely. She desperately tried to convince herself it was a cold, the flu, anything other than…

"Stupid cupid…" Raven muttered, as Beast Boy walked past her, causing her face to heat up. Any time the changeling looked her way, she found herself acting like a fool. Worse still was any time he touched her. Once, she swore she almost fainted when he hugged her. But that was ridiculous.

Wasn't it?

_**Impression**_

Raven is so cool! The five of us only just met, but I can already tell she's the most awesome of all of us. She's so powerful; she can do all kinds of stuff with her powers. But she's also really intimidating…and a little bit scary.

_**Shine**_ *

"Are you willing to trust me with your second chance?"

"At what?"

"Giving away your heart."

_**Around**_

Now I always notice his absence. Of course I try not to let on when I miss him. But when he is there, I find it so much easier to breathe. It doesn't seem logical, but I still find myself wanting him to always be beside me.

_**Capture**_

"Raven, would you stop running already?" Raven glanced up from her book, surprised at the changeling's sudden outburst.

"Beast Boy, in case you haven't noticed, I'm sitting still," she said, exasperated.

"No, I meant stop running away with my heart," he said grinning. Raven blushed and buried her nose back into the book.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

These little snippet chapters are a great solution for those small ideas too good to trash, but not enough to make a story. (Although if inspiration struck, I suppose a snippet could become a story.)

I would love to hear your favorite.

* _Shine _Note – I purposely left the speakers ambiguous, since (in my opinion) it can go either way.

Review replies – I'm curious to see if people like/dislike/don't care about them. I actually like responding to comments.

(FYI -- I sometimes put quotes from reviews in parentheses in my responses, as I reminder of what someone has said – since I know **I** don't remember exactly what I say in every review I leave.)


	27. Accidental

_**Accidental**_

It started out as a normal morning. Normal for five twenty-something superheroes, at least.

Breakfast had only just begun when the alarm rang. Peaceful mornings are always in short supply it seems. Unfortunately for all of us, the alarm was for Plasmus. We each have our own reasons for disliking our battles with him.

Robin is disappointed any time the alarm isn't for Slade. I know; he really is too obsessive.

Cyborg is always afraid that no matter how far away he parks the T-car, some of the goop will get on his baby. Sadly, he's usual right.

Starfire hates fighting Plasmus because she knows that underneath the monster is a man innocent of all crimes except that of waking.

Beast Boy thinks our time could be better spent fighting what he calls "real" villains.

Why can't I stand fighting Plasmus? Quite simple – I can't stand being covered in green slime.

None of us were spared this morning. All five of us, including Cyborg's baby, were positively covered by the battle's end. We were all in less than pleasant moods, to put it lightly.

Somewhere in the midst of arguing over who would carry whom back to the tower, Beast Boy disappeared. Of course, I didn't notice at the time. If I had, none of this would be happening.

If I had noticed his early departure, I might have stopped to entertain the possibility of someone already being in the bathroom on our level of the tower. If I had seen him leave and known he would be home before us, I wouldn't be in this situation.

I was lost the moment I opened that door. That damn door, left unlocked of course, by that damn green boy…ooh…scratch that - man.

I have never been susceptible to the influence of hormones. Never, not even once. But all it took was one short glimpse and by Azar, I didn't know who I was any more.

Dripping wet, the tiniest scrap of cloth around his waist. It was a hand towel, I'm certain, because I could see _everything_.

…almost everything

_Almost_ was more than enough to send me spiraling into insanity, deep into a bottomless pit. I cannot even begin to describe the jolt that went down my spine. I must have been quite a sight to see – jaw hanging, eyes bulging, cheeks flaming, chest heaving.

It's a wonder I didn't pass out. The shock of seeing that terribly attractive, softly chiseled chest… By Azar, though – who knew green was such an alluring color? Especially with water dripping down…

Damnit, I can't breathe again.

Then I felt something inside me churning as he turns and smiles. That damn smile…

I honestly cannot remember a single word he said as he passed by me, leaving. All I remember is turning to watch him walk away, staring now at his muscular legs, wondering unspeakable things about them.

Shutting the door, double checking the lock, turning the water on freezing cold, sitting on the floor of the tub…

That is where I've been since he left, trying in vain to get those images, and the thoughts born from them, out of my head.

And damnit, it's not working.

Not working at all.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Ah…where did this come from??

My apologies for lack of review replies and the long break between chapters. There have been large developments in my "real" life that have taken up my time.


	28. Poison

_**Poison**_

I am an empath, not a telepath. This can be both a blessing and a curse. Although I do believe if I had to hear every obsessive thought that went thru Robin's head, I truly would go insane.

I am thankful to not be privy to my teammates' every thought. The empathy does have its uses, and isn't nearly as distracting as I imagine telepathy would be. It's nearly impossible to lie to me. Yet some people (who shall remain nameless to protect the moronic) continue to try.

As with all "gifts", there are times I wish desperately to be ungifted, not special, simple and plain.

Tonight is, as you may have guessed, one of those times. A nightmare from one of my teammates is creeping under my skin, poisoning my inner serenity.

All five of us have nightmares. It's not a daily occurrence, thankfully - sometimes not even monthly. No, I cannot see their dreams. I only feel. The terror and anguish that accompanies the visions – those are the only elements strong enough for me to pick up.

It's not unusual to me, the idea of being able to fell others' dreams. What is unusual about the nightmares of my fellow Titans is how similar they are. Usually I cannot tell their nightmares apart, the feelings are so much alike.

Feelings of helplessness and dread – such terrible dread – knowing it is impossible to stop what will happen, that which will change everything about our life.

We don't talk about our pasts. Anything we reveal is the result of necessity. I know so very little about my teammates. Yet they know even less than I do.

Maybe that is why the five of us were drawn together. Our pasts, as different as they must be, are full of events we were powerless to control. The scars left upon our hearts bind us together in a way that our conscious minds do not fully comprehend.

It is only in these dark moments, when terror can be tasted in the air, that I realize none of our scars will ever fade. The sickening memories of the past will always taint us and everything we do.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

I realize this is focused solely on Raven, but I felt it still worth adding.

Again, I apologize for my "real life" distractions. Thanks to those of you who wished me well, and not to worry. The recent developments have not been unwelcomed, merely unexpected.


	29. Prayer

_**Prayer**_

Um…hi.

So I know it's been a long time - a really long time. I'm sorry…I don't have a good excuse.

I mean, for a while, I…wasn't exactly sure how I felt about you. But I'm sure you already knew that. I know I shouldn't have stopped trusting you, but it was so hard to believe.

So many bad things seemed to keep happening, and I didn't understand why.

Maybe I thought everything was your fault. But I don't think that anymore.

I've actually grown up a little bit – pretty amazing, I know. I've gotten better at admitting when I'm wrong, and at knowing when to ask for help.

I know I was wrong to loose faith, and I'm sorry for doubting you. I hope you can forgive me, because I'm not too proud to admit that I need your help.

I bet you must get really sick of people asking you for things! I know you can't always give people what they want. I finally understand that it doesn't work like that.

If you know that what I ask for isn't what should happen, it's okay. I mean, I'd appreciate any help you can give me, but I understand that you don't grant wishes.

But if there's anything you can do, anything at all...

You see, there's somebody who means everything to me. I'm sure you know who I mean.

And I love her. Even though it's crazy and irrational and absolutely insane – I love this girl. Now the only thing I want is for her to love me, too.

I know that getting her to love me is close to impossible, but no way is that going to stop me.

I also know - I'm going to need all the help I can get.

Amen

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Hopefully this one isn't too confusing. Basically, this is Beast Boy praying.

Aha! Now it makes sense, right?


	30. Sleep

_**Sleep**_

Raven awoke to a warm hand caressing her waist. Surely it wasn't morning yet. A quick glance at the bedside clock proved her right. Groaning, she rolled over to face her bedmate.

"Gar, what are you doing?" she mumbled, closing her eyes as she stretched her arms.

"I was just watching you sleep," Beast Boy insisted innocently, but she could tell from the way he spoke that there was a sneaky grin plastered on his face.

"You were doing more than just watching," she scowled at him. "You're not allowed to fondle me while I'm asleep, remember?" she grumbled, rolling onto her back.

"Garfield!" she burst out in surprise. In an instant she was sitting up, staring at him indignantly with arms crossed.

"What?" he asked, looking up at her with the widest eyes he could manage. She frowned and pointedly moved her eyes down the bed. She had clearly noticed the small peak the sheet was making between his legs.

"Uhm…" he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck and breaking eye contact. Raven raised her eyebrows with a smirk and waited pointedly, making it clear he had better have a good explanation.

Beast Boy sighed reluctantly and turned to his wife with a look of mock defeat.

"I really was watching you sleep," he began pitifully, "You're so pretty with the moon shining on you, and you were so peaceful, and would make cute little breathing noises, and…," he huffed ."Damnit, Rae! Why do you have to be so sexy?" He whined, looking at her again with those big green eyes, amusement sparkling just below the surface.

She laughed noiselessly, moving over to straddle his waist. He closed his eyes and hummed happily as she pressed her lips to his.

"You poor thing," she murmured huskily, moving her lips deliberately to brush softly. She felt him smile against her.

"You going to help me out, Rae? Considering it really is all your fault," he asked teasingly, kissing her with a gentle nip. She pulled back gave him an obliging smile before moving her mouth to his ear, whispering.

"I'll see what I can do."


	31. Snippets II

**_Only_**

It's not as if I like being thrown out windows or attached to the ceiling or slammed into the wall. It may seem otherwise, but I don't enjoy pain.

But if that's the only attention I can get from her, I'll take it.

**_Compare_**

I have fun hanging out with Terra. She's a lot like me; we don't take anything too seriously. I'm beginning to think I may even like her.

But sometimes, I catch myself comparing her to you, and I'm not sure why.

**_Upside_**

"Believe it or not, Cy, there is an upside to making Raven angry," Beast Boy said as he hid in the garage.

"Oh yeah, and what's that? She kills you quickly?" Cyborg teased. Beast Boy smirked.

"The sex is incredible."

**_Assumption_**

Nobody else seems to understand that she isn't dark. Her life has been, but she's not.

_**Possibilities**_

"Hey Raven, what if none of us had ever met?" Beast Boy asked the empath seriously.

"It's pointless to dwell on 'what ifs' Beast Boy. We did meet, and that is what is important," Raven stated. A small smile crept onto his face. Sometimes he really loved her no nonsense attitude.

**_Regret_**

They didn't remember what had started the fight. Despite that, the angry words kept coming. Neither of them meant what they said. Given a moment of clear thinking, they would surely take it all back.

The pressure kept building, until he said something that could not be taken back.

"I knew we wouldn't work."

_**Obey**_

Robin and Cyborg love to joke that Raven's put an obedience spell on me. They're sure it's the only logical explanation for my recent behavior. They say she's got me wrapped around her finger.

The thing they don't seem to realize - that's exactly how I want it.

**_Cry_**

She wouldn't cry. It was just not something she did. Did she even know how?

Tears came.

"Dear, sweet Raven,"

And yet her tears had little to do with him. No, she cried for what she thought she didn't have.

**_Pretty_**

She really is pretty. No, pretty doesn't do her justice. Beautiful or gorgeous maybe. I can't help but watch her. All the time. I always look away right before she sees me.

But today I didn't.

And she didn't hit me or yell at me. She just looked back.

_**Inner**_

We never talk about which one of us is the strongest. It doesn't matter to us.

Besides, our inner strength is what makes us who we are. And that's a hard thing to measure.

_**Reply**_

She doesn't answer him for the longest time, and he regrets his words. He wishes he could take them back, erase them from existence. But then she replies, "I think I love you, too."

_**Call**_

She was woken in the early hours of the morning by the familiar ring of her communicator. Opening it, she was surprised to see his green face smiling back at her.

"Why did you wake me up?" she asks grouchily.

"I just wanted to see you."


	32. Always

_**Always**_

"Hello?"

"Hey Raven!"

The familiar voice on the other line sent shockwaves through her – the phone threatened to slip from her fingers.

"…Beast Boy…" his name escaped from her lips – the name she hadn't said in so long.

"You got it, babe!"

Exactly the same, even after all this time. How easy it would be for her to pretend, for things to go back to the way they had been.

"Hello, Beast Boy." Things could go back to the way they always were, couldn't they?

"Hiya Rae."

Nothing would change between them; he had simply misunderstood his feelings.

"Gar…What – why are you calling me?" Those words he had said to her months ago had been a mistake.

"I just wanted to see how you were."

She had known it couldn't be true, the moment he'd said it. How could she make him see? She left – the only possible solution.

"I'm fine. And you?" In time, he would reconsider and realize he had been wrong.

"Good, good. Yeah, I'm good."

When that time came, she wouldn't say, "I told you".

"That's…good." Perhaps he was calling now to tell her she could return. He would say something about getting "back to normal" and they would silently agree. He had been wrong. It had been a mistake.

"Raven…I know why you left."

Her breath stopped in anticipation – an apology, an indirect babbling admittance that he had been wrong. Then she could finally get on with her life as it was meant to be and that ridiculous spark of hope could be swept quickly from her heart.

"You didn't believe what I said that night on the roof. I meant it, Raven."

The air rushed from her lungs, drowning her.

"I love you, Raven."

Time and air came rushing toward her, too fast and too quick to breathe.

"Gar, don't…Please…" strangled, she pleaded.

"Raven, I love you, I love you, I love you!"

It was wrong, all so wrong. She crumpled, hiding on her kitchen floor. Hiding from the world and herself.

Hiding from the boy who somehow did the impossible.

"Answer it, Rae." A hard knock on the door.

Brain refused as body complied. The phone clattered, left behind.

It can never go back to the way it was.

Things will never be the same.

Only a door, yet as it opened, everything she thought she knew about herself vanished.

"I love you," he whispered, smiled over unshed tears.

This time she saw.

The words were true.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A little different, and a bit angsty (for me, at least).


	33. Fun

_**Fun**_

"Will you remind me why I'm here?" Raven grumbled in a quiet enough voice to not be heard by the women walking past. She sat uncomfortably stiff in her chair, glancing with ill-disguised contempt at her surroundings.

The elegantly decorated ballroom filled with people was not where she wanted to be at the moment. Surrounded by people talking, laughing and dancing – things that she did not do.

"Come on, Raven, it's not that bad!" a smiling and tuxedo-clad Beast Boy said from the chair beside hers. He saw how uncomfortable she was; she didn't do well in environments she couldn't control.

"You know I don't like these things, Beast Boy," she said less harshly, looking over and meeting his eyes. For a very brief moment, she let down her controlled mask and he saw the silent plea in her eyes. He knew it was hard for her to admit her weaknesses aloud. As if giving voice to them would somehow make it easier to be consumed.

"I know, Rae," he said quietly, placing his hand in hers under the table. She held it tightly, turning up one corner of her lips in a smile of thanks.

"There's nothing here that should make you feel uncomfortable, though," he said looking around. The charity dinners put on by the city were usually fairly enjoyable to him, but it was no secret that Raven despised them. A small sigh escaped her lungs.

"Everything here makes me uncomfortable," her bitter tone made him look over. She watched as he blinked sadly at her, and hated herself for always dragging him down.

"What's so bad about dancing…" he started encouragingly.

"I can't."

"People…" he continued. She frowned at him.

"I don't play well with others."

"Talking…" he tried desperately.

"Not a big fan."

"Food?" he questioned pleadingly.

Raven thought for a moment, and Beast Boy could see her face flush.

"The food's alright," she mumbled reluctantly. He chuckled quietly and squeezed her hand.

"Well as long as the food's good. All the other stuff we can do something about." He stated confidently, smiling at her.

"We can?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure!" he answered happily, and before she took her next breath, Raven found herself pulled onto the dance floor with the changeling's arms around her.

Panicking, she snapped her eyes up to meet his. She found him looking down at her with a small smile on his face.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, glaring into the green eyes mere inches from hers.

"We," he said matter-of-factly, "are dancing." Raven continued to glare as he simply beamed at her.

Shuffling awkwardly as Beast Boy led, Raven knew her face was ablaze After nearly tripping on her dress for the third time, she froze her feet, effectively stopping their dancing.

"Come on, Rae," Beast Boy whined, sticking out his bottom lip ever-so-slightly. Far from having the desired effect, Raven's eyes narrowed in response.

"No…more…dancing…" she ground out softly, the determined look in her eyes telling the changeling he had best not test her patience. He sighed dramatically, held out his arm for her to take, and promptly escorted her from the dance floor.''

"You're no fun, you know that?" Beast Boy complained good-naturedly as they walked from the ballroom to the surrounding gardens lit with moonlight.

"Then why do you even bother?" Raven questioned back sharply, his comment sparking a tinge of hurt, though she knew he had meant no harm. Beast Boy stopped walking, easily picking up the twinge in her voice.

She purposely didn't meet his eyes. How could she have known that at that moment, the only thing he wanted to be looking at were those eyes she kept glued to the ground.

"Raven," Beast Boy whispered almost scoldingly. "Look at me."

And she did. It so often happened; she found herself unable, and unwilling, to resist him.

"I love you," confident, without a trace of doubt or hesitation. He never seemed unsure when he said these three words to her. For that, she was grateful. The doubt in her own heart was more than enough for the both of them.

Beast Boy smiled at her with those eyes of his – honest and open- and yet again he told her the one thing she most needed to hear.

She blushed faintly and took hold of his hand.

"I know," she whispered softly, before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. As she pulled back, an idiotic grin appeared on his face.

That idiotic grin that Raven was starting to think she couldn't live without.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

That, ladies and gentlemen, is pure and pointless fluff. Enjoy!


	34. Alone

_**Alone**_

If I had been a normal girl, I'm sure it would have bothered me – the feeling I have that tells me I'm doomed to be alone. But that knowledge has always been part of me – it was a much a fact of life as was needing oxygen to breathe.

Until the day that everything changed, and the one who held power over me was destroyed. Without the Prophecy, the absolute truths of my existence were no more.

All the rules and restrictions my life had been built upon vanished, leaving me floundering to discover the new truths on my own.

Now that I no longer had to be alone for the sake of the world, I was devastated. I still felt I would always be alone, but it wasn't because of the prophecy. It was because of me. Every new person I met would be free to decide for themselves if my company was something they desired.

And it never was.

It was no longer a necessity for me to isolate myself – but now that I had the choice, others did too. And they, naturally, chose to avoid me. I can't blame them. Had our roles been reversed, I have no guarantee that I would not behave exactly as they did.

Before, I had been resigned to my fate – a small price to pay for the good of humanity. Now…now the thought of being alone upset me deeply.

In some ways nothing has changed – I have and always will be alone. But only now, in my newfound freedom, does it break my heart.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

No, I do not have any (good) excuses for my hiatus. I feel very unprofessional for leaving this unattended for so long. Please accept my humble apologies, and know that I will endeavor to never do such a thing again.


	35. Help

_**Help**_

Beast Boy walked slowly up the steps, making his way to the roof. He knew that's where she was; he didn't know how he knew, but he did. Pushing the door open gently, he winced as it creaked. He wasn't sneaking up on her, but the sooner she was aware of his presence, the sooner he would have to say something.

And he had absolutely no idea what to say.

Raven heard Beast Boy approaching her perch along the Tower's edge, but she made no acknowledgement. She wasn't exactly in the mood for company, but she was too tired to make an effort to send him away.

He bit his lip in uncertainty before sitting cross-legged a few inches away.

"Hey," he greeted awkwardly. His only response was a quiet sigh. Glancing around nervously, he tried to come up with something to say. How did you comfort a friend who was destined to help their father, who was essentially the Devil, destroy the world?

"Do you want to…talk about it?" he finished desperately, mentally slapping himself. Of course she didn't want to talk about it. Raven never wanted to talk about _anything_.

Raven shook her head quickly, the building pressure behind her eyes making her reluctant to trust her voice. Beast Boy watched her sadly. He didn't know what to do for her.

He hated it – seeing her like this. He could only imagine what she was feeling, and there was nothing he could do to help.

Still watching her silently, he saw as a single tear crept from her eye and it broke his heart.

"Aw Raven, please don't cry," he whispered. Her hand flicked up, wiping away the tear hastily. She stared straight ahead, attempting to remain a picture of serenity. But he knew better; he could see the way her jaw was clenched, holding back the rest of her tears.

"Don't worry, Raven. We're here to help you, remember? We won't let Slade or your father get you. I promise," Beast Boy said warmly, putting a hand on her shoulder compassionately.

"I don't understand," she said huskily, shaking her head as she spoke for the first time. "Why are you all willing to stand by me? Let me stay here? You know what I am and what I will do. How can you…" Her voice caught and she fell silent again.

"We're you're friends, Raven. We're your family. We all care about you," Beast Boy said as he moved his arm to cautiously encircle her shoulders. Sighing, she hesitantly rested her head against him. She was too drained to support herself alone. And here was someone, a friend, willing to lend his support. She would be a fool not to accept.

"I don't understand," she whispered softly. Beast Boy squeezed her arm lightly, wondering how long it would take for him to stop seeing her as unassailable. She had always been strong, so to see her like this – vulnerable – was foreign.

"You don't have to, Raven. Just trust us," he reassured her. He no longer had to seek the right words to say; somehow he knew what she needed to hear.

"We will always be here for you, Raven. I promise."

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No, not connected to last chapter. (At least not exactly.) Most reviews mentioned how nice it would be to have BB prove Raven wrong. So I decided this chapter was due up next. ^_^


	36. Refusal

_**Refusal**_

That bastard.

Flirting with me, trying to get a reaction.

There is absolutely no way I would ever let him see if one of his perverted comments affected me. He could affect anyone by saying those things. Any girl he made a flirtatious comment to would surely blush and giggle. I refuse to be just another one of them.

Despite the fact that he usually does embarrass me with his attention, I never let him see it. I will not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he can get into my head. If I reacted the same way as any other girl, what makes me any different? Nothing. And then later, when I would come to realize that I was just another notch on the bed post, I would be incredibly humiliated.

I can't let him know his words have any power over me. He would never let me hear the end of it, and would bother even more than he already does, although I'm not sure if that's possible.

It gives me such a terrible taste in my mouth, whenever he says something like that. I hate myself for feeling fuzzy inside and for allowing my heart to skip a beat. I try to remind myself how many times he's probably said these things, to how many different girls. I try to remember that guys all over the world use comments like these to elicit the reaction they want.

I am not one to be manipulated. I have spent my entire life running away from those who would seek to manipulate me – not being in control of myself is my greatest fear. Perhaps that is why everything I do is so deliberate.

I have not always had the luxury of deciding my own actions, so anything I do is the result of such careful thinking. I do not take my free will for granted. I do not allow anyone to guide me down a certain path; I do not like being taken advantage of.

That feels like what he is doing every time he talks like that. As if he's attempting to control my actions, make me a puppet under his control.

And that makes me angry.

I understand that is the birth of my rage toward him, but what is the source of my terrible humiliation and embarrassment? Is it simply because I do not wish to be talked to like a dumb naïve girl, who will eventually get taken advantage of?

The real answer, which I continue to hide even from myself, is probably slightly different. Granted, I do not appreciate being talked to as if I were an imbecile, but I believe it's grown to be more than those feelings of resentment.

Unfortunately, I sometimes find myself wishing he meant the words he said, wishing that I was the only one he ever said these things to. That sometimes I imagine he isn't just being a horny teenager- that he only acts this way with me. I imagine that he really isn't a womanizer, having practiced these lines dozens of times. I imagine that he stayed up all night practicing them in the mirror, only for me, so that I would be impressed.

I find those thoughts of mine humiliating and revolting. How can I be so weak, to find myself putty in his hands? Am I truly no stronger than any of the girls he so regularly spends his time with?

No, I think I am indeed exactly like them. The only difference is that I have a tough shell to hide behind, so that I never make him aware of the fact that I only want his attention to be on me, and no one else. I refuse to let him see the power he holds.

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I quite like this one.

I will admit, I've thought about writing a companion to this one - from Beast Boy's POV, of course.


	37. How

_**How?**_

I still don't know when things started to change. I don't remember having a "light bulb" moment, when I looked at her and it hit me. It wasn't like that at all. I can't even remember when I began falling in love with her. I can't give you a day, week or even a month when I know it started.

All I do know is that now I feel so differently about her. I can't really believe it myself, actually. It's been sneaking up on me for so long that I didn't realize it was even there. But now…I can't imagine what it was like to not love her.

I know there must be a reason I fell for her. Well, sure, there are plenty of reasons – she's smart, funny, beautiful, strong, amazing…. But _how_ did I fall in love with her? I have no idea, and it really makes no sense. We have nothing in common. It's a mystery to me, how it happened.

How are people supposed to fall in love, anyway? She wasn't about to get married to someone else when I realized I wanted her for myself. We didn't get stranded on a desert island together. We didn't have to work together to get ourselves out of the dungeon of an evil king. We didn't have to pretend to be a couple for an undercover mission. Isn't that how it happens in movies?

I guess we used to be friends, but not like how I'm friends with Cyborg. We talked, but most of the time it was arguing. And now, I talk to her even less, because I don't know what to say. I'm scared- no, I'm terrified – whenever she's around me now, because I can't bear the idea of only being her friend. I don't know how to act around her anymore.

Is there any way I can tell her? Is there a way to tell her something so important without blowing something up? How am I supposed to tell her, when I have no idea what she feels for me?

"Hey Raven, want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

Somehow I think that would end with a few broken bones on my end. So what do I do, now that everything has changed for me? How do I tell her that I'm hopelessly in love with her?


	38. Inform

_**Inform**_

"Beast Boy!" Raven blurted out suddenly, the changeling's lips mere inches from resting on hers. Beast Boy jumped back, startled at her sudden outburst.

"What? What?" he inquired frantically. "Is there a spider on my head?" Looking nervous, he ran his hand roughly through his hair in the hopes of dislodging the (imaginary) bug. Raven's eyebrow quirked slightly as she shook her head. How he reached his conclusions was something she would never understand.

"There's no spider, Gar," she said flatly, causing his hand to drop back to his side. He giggled sheepishly, looking into his date's violet eyes.

"Thank goodness," he joked half-heartedly, before noticing that Raven's face was slightly redder than normal. He frowned in confusion as she stared fixedly at a spot over his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Rae?" he asked curiously. His ears picked up the sound of her heartbeat quickening.

"I haven't kissed anyone before," she stated, her voice as monotonous as he had ever heard it. She was clearly trying to hide how embarrassing it was to say those words. Beast Boy let out a relieved breath, grateful she didn't have something more serious to get off her chest.

"And…?" he prompted her, wondering why she felt the need to tell him something he had already been fairly certain of.

"I just…thought I should inform you," Raven finished weakly. Beast Boy gave her a disbelieving stare as he moved so she was forced to meet his eyes.

"You mean you thought you should inform me so that I could change my mind about kissing you? Because that's what I was about to do, you know," he said teasingly. "I was about to kiss you, Raven." He said with a crooked smile, her blush deepening.

"I know," she mumbled, crossing her arms uncertainly. Beast Boy took a step closer.

"And the only thing that will make me not kiss you is if you tell me to stop. Do you understand?" his voice was patient, as though he was speaking to a child, but Raven heard the cheekiness just below the surface.

His face suddenly seemed very close, and she had to remind herself to breath.

"Do you understand?" he asked softly. She could feel the breath of his words against her mouth. Her breath hitched.

"Yes," she whispered.


End file.
